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India's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The winning rhythm gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Vanishes

The young team's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition post the close together retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.

India were a bit unlucky that leader Gill got injured very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of reaching the decider of this season also.

After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to number five. Although nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home recently is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.

Today, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.

Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well abroad.

A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them before.

Even though there is validity in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have seen such a staggering decline.

Several Weaknesses

Most former players diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.

Analysts and squad members have highlighted several failings after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.

This was clear in the displays of the side.

Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.

Management Questions

The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.

At his post-series press