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The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The momentum established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition after the almost concurrent retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.

Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

This represented the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming India's chances of reaching the showpiece of this edition also.

After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an exception.

Today, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.

Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

What Happened?

Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.

Some point out that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has reduced the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.

Although there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.

Several Weaknesses

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

Experts and participants have identified various flaws after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.

This was clear in the performances of the team.

Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.

Leadership Under Fire

The review targeted just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press