India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.
Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.
The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the WTC final.
The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the final of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have been relegated to number five. Though nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, India appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is failing at home because home surfaces have been modified from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.
Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Multiple Failings
Most former players identify a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to several failings after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the showings of the team.
Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.
During his post-series press
