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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

Earlier this week, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.

The winning rhythm established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.

A Promising Start Disappears

The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition following the close together retirements of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill got injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the well below standard showing in both Tests against the opposition.

Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second series sweep at home endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's chances of reaching the decider of this cycle also.

From number three in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to fifth place. Although nine further games are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Roots of the Decline

India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.

In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.

Today, India appear to be vulnerable at home.

Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to favor their game went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Some suggest that India is failing at home because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to do well abroad.

A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with before.

While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.

Various Shortcomings

Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.

Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.

This was obvious in the performances of the side.

Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Management Questions

The analysis didn't spare just the players - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press