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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Disappears

The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition following the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against the opposition.

Some big reputations were damaged, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.

Worrying Trend

This represented the second series sweep at home experienced by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's hopes of qualifying for the final of this edition too.

From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the mighty Aussies. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.

Now, India appear to be beatable in their own backyard.

Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.

Although there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Several Weaknesses

Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.

Critics and players have identified several failings post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.

This was evident in the showings of the squad.

Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.

Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.

Management Questions

The analysis targeted just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gambhir.

At his post-series press