The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.
In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The young team's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.
Worrying Trend
This was the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail India's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, India seem easy pickings at home.
Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.
While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.
Management Questions
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press
