India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a seamless changeover after the close together departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par display in each match against the opposition.
Several established players suffered, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of making the decider of this edition as well.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Although nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. However the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Now, India seem beatable on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players play, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to one or two factors.
Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was clear in the performances of the team.
Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
