The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a smooth transition after the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.
A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard performance in both Tests against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.
A Troubling Pattern
This was the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of making the decider of this season too.
From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have fallen to number five. Although nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.
Causes of the Fall
The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.
Now, the team look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.
Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.
The Core Issue
Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.
A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.
While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.
Critics and players have identified several failings post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
