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India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The momentum established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.

Early Optimism Vanishes

The emerging side's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.

The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard display in each match against South Africa.

Some big reputations suffered, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.

A Troubling Pattern

This was the second series sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.

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

From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.

Currently, India seem beatable in their own backyard.

Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them in the past.

While there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have pointed to various flaws post India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.

This was clear in the displays of the team.

Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press