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India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.

Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory built over the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.

A Promising Start Disappears

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition post the close together departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in the two games against the opposition.

Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's prospects of making the final of this edition too.

Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.

Since the turn of the century, India were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.

Now, India seem beatable in their own backyard.

Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed overseas.

Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them in the past.

Although there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a staggering decline.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.

Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.

This was evident in the performances of the squad.

Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.

Management Questions

The post-mortem targeted just the players - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press