India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - along with head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition after the almost concurrent exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard performance in both Tests against South Africa.
Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second series sweep on home soil endured by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.
From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to do well overseas.
A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.
While there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the showings of the side.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The analysis also included the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
