Remember when South Africa were successful in India? You're forgiven if you don't, even though it was barely two weeks ago that they celebrated their first Test series victory there in more than 25 years. You may also have forgotten that they successfully chased 359 in Raipur last Wednesday to level the one-day series.

Because since then they have been dismal. Nevermind in politics, a week is an even longer time in cricket when the wheels come off a team on tour.

Like they did in the third ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, when India won by nine wickets with 10.1 overs to spare. And in the first T20I in Cuttack on Tuesday, when the South Africans were bowled out for their record low total of 74 in 12.3 overs to seal defeat by 101 runs.

One blowout loss can be ascribed to aberration. Two consecutively is ominous, especially as four more T20Is are scheduled for the next 10 days.

Cast your mind further back than the past two weeks, and you might recall that South Africa were dismissed for 110 in the second T20I in Lahore on October 31, when Pakistan won by nine wickets with 41 balls to spare. And for 143 in the third ODI in Faisalabad eight days later, when the home side needed one ball more than half their allotted overs to reel in the tiny target with seven wickets standing. But those sorry performances were separated by two more competitive displays - albeit also defeats - in the T20Is and an ODI win.

So you had to feel for Ashwell Prince being wheeled out to explain it all to a press conference in Cuttack after Tuesday's debacle.

Should Aiden Markram have chosen to field first after winning the toss?

"We thought it would be a good pitch," Prince said. "We have the stats in terms of average scores and so on. We know there's always dew around, and there always seems to be more dew later on at night. So I don't think the decision was based on what we thought the pitch would do."

The surface offered significant seam movement and bounce and there was swing through the air, but the Indians found a way to survive and prosper and score 175 for 6.

"I thought the pitch was good," Prince said. "Not every pitch you bat on is supposed to be a 220 pitch."

India slipped to 78 for 4 inside 12 overs, and were rescued by a blistering 59 not out off 28 by Hardik Pandya - who hammered more than 80% of his runs in fours and sixes.

"They had to work hard for the first part of the innings. Hardik came in and played a brilliant knock to give them a competitive score.

"I don't think, in any cricket match, you can decide at the halfway stage if you have a winning score. But you can put up a competitive score, and it turned out to be enough."

Injuries forced Tony de Zorzi and Kwena Maphaka out of the T20I squad, and ruled Nandre Burger out of the ODI decider. But Prince wasn't going to lean on that argument.

"There have been a lot of changes in terms of personnel and through injury, but we don't want to use that as an excuse. We expect the XI we put out there in every match to win, regardless of injuries."

Now what?

"We need to find more consistency. After a batting performance like this, that's one department we'll have to improve quickly. India have a formidable attack, and they asked a lot of good questions. As a batter you've got to be able to answer the questions and tonight we weren't up to the task."

Part of the reason that happened was because the South Africans didn't adjust to the conditions.

"When you look down at the surface you have an idea of what it's going to do, but you don't really know what it's going to do until you bat and bowl on it. Being able to adapt to what it's doing on the day, that's the key. Tonight we weren't able to do that and find any rhythm in our batting."

South Africa's mission doesn't promise to get any easier. On Wednesday they will make the 1,500-kilometre journey across India from Cuttack in the east to Chandigarh in the north west. On Thursday the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium will host its inaugural men's international.

Of course, the Indians will also have to make the trip. But it helps if you are able to do so fuelled by a thumping win, not when you can see your success receding in the rearview mirror.