India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Early Optimism Fades Quickly
The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover post the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill got injured very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against the opposition.
Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
It was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of qualifying for the final of this season too.
Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.
Roots of the Decline
The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.
In the 21st century, India were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an anomaly.
Today, the team seem easy pickings at home.
Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to help their style failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well abroad.
A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them in the past.
Although there is validity in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.
This was evident in the displays of the squad.
Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.
Management Questions
The analysis targeted just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.
During his post-series press
