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India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Disappears

The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover post the near-simultaneous exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill got injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this edition too.

Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.

Today, India look to be easy pickings at home.

Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.

The Core Issue

Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to do well abroad.

Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.

Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Various Shortcomings

Most former players identify a complicated issue, not just a few causes.

Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.

This was obvious in the displays of the team.

Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Leadership Under Fire

The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press