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

In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The momentum gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a smooth transition post the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury very early in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the well below standard performance in the two games against South Africa.

Several established players took a hit, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

This represented the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of reaching the showpiece of this season as well.

From number three in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to number five. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the mighty Aussies. However the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, India were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.

Currently, India seem vulnerable at home.

Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed overseas.

A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would present to them in the past.

Although there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.

Critics and players have pointed to several failings following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.

This was obvious in the displays of the team.

Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.

Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The review also included the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.

At his post-series press