India's shocking 0-2 loss 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 loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Disappears
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover post the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
It was the second series sweep at home suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming India's chances of reaching the decider of this cycle also.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.
Today, the team appear to be beatable on home turf.
Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them earlier.
Although there is validity in these views, it does not clarify why India's performances at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified several failings post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was clear in the displays of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Management Questions
The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
