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

In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill was injured early on in the initial match and took no further part in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against South Africa.

Several established players were damaged, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

Concerning History

This was the second series sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a spot in the WTC final.

The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition also.

From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an exception.

Now, India seem beatable on home turf.

Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better abroad.

Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.

While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Multiple Failings

Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.

Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was evident in the displays of the side.

Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.

Management Questions

The analysis targeted the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.

During his post-series press