The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The winning rhythm established in the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover following the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.
Some big reputations took a hit, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of making the showpiece of this season also.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions 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 several international stars take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with before.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Multiple Failings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.
Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis targeted just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gambhir.
During his post-series press
