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India's shocking 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.

In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.

The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Vanishes

The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover after the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

Concerning History

This represented the second series sweep on home soil experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.

The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this cycle as well.

Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.

Currently, the team seem easy pickings in their own backyard.

Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.

What's Gone Wrong?

A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them in the past.

Even though there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.

Various Shortcomings

The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not just a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.

This was clear in the performances of the team.

Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.

Leadership Under Fire

The analysis targeted the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press