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India's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

Just days ago, the visiting team handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The winning rhythm built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head coach the coach - are now uncertain.

A Promising Start Fades Quickly

The young team's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the side of the well below standard display in both Tests against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage the team's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this season too.

Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, the side have dropped to number five. Although nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.

Today, India seem vulnerable in their own backyard.

Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it mattered most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better abroad.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them before.

Even though there is validity in these views, it does not clarify the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.

Various Shortcomings

The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.

Critics and players have highlighted various flaws after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.

This was obvious in the displays of the squad.

Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.

A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Leadership Under Fire

The analysis targeted just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the examination was mentor Gambhir.

At his post-series press