The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The momentum established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.
The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.
Concerning History
This represented the second series sweep on home soil experienced by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.
The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming the team's prospects of reaching the decider of this edition too.
After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.
Currently, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them before.
Although there is validity in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.
This was obvious in the displays of the side.
Players like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The review targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
