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

Just days ago, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Vanishes

The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover post the near-simultaneous retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.

India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against South Africa.

Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second series sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this edition too.

Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to number five. Although nine further games are remaining, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is continues to confuse.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.

Today, the team look to be beatable on home turf.

Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.

What Happened?

A few experts argue that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them in the past.

Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Multiple Failings

Most former players identify a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.

This was obvious in the showings of the squad.

Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Management Questions

The post-mortem also included just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.

In his post-series press