India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The emerging side's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition post the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, before the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the series. But that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players were damaged, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Concerning History
This was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the WTC final.
The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of making the showpiece of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.
Now, India appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been changed from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with earlier.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
