The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.
The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover after the close together exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this season also.
From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Currently, the team appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to help their style failed miserably, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain the reason India's performances on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.
This was clear in the displays of the squad.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, driven by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
In his post-series press
