The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Disappears
The young team's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover post the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.
A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.
Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.
Concerning History
It was the second clean sweep at home suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa could damage India's chances of reaching the final of this cycle too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an exception.
Today, India appear to be vulnerable on home turf.
Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to perform better overseas.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
While there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Critics and players have identified several failings post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the team.
Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.
Coaching Scrutiny
The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.
At his post-series press
