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The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.

In the final match, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The momentum established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.

Early Optimism Vanishes

The emerging side's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.

India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.

Worrying Trend

This was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this cycle too.

From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to number five. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.

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 lately is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.

Currently, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.

Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.

Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.

While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.

Various Shortcomings

Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.

Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was evident in the performances of the side.

Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to claim wins.

Management Questions

The analysis also included just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press