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India's surprising 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.

A Promising Start Fades Quickly

The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.

The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against South Africa.

Some big reputations were damaged, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced 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 berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this cycle as well.

After being third in the WTC table before the series, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. However the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil lately is continues to confuse.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.

Now, the team look to be vulnerable on home turf.

Against New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.

What Happened?

A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.

While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.

Several Weaknesses

Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the performances of the side.

Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.

Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Management Questions

The review also included the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.

At his post-series press