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India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

Just days ago, the visiting team handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory built over the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of multiple squad members - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.

Initial Hope Vanishes

The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover post the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.

India were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill was injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing display in each match against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

This was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.

The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this season also.

After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an aberration.

Now, India look to be vulnerable on home turf.

Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.

A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them earlier.

Although there is some truth in each argument, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not only a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have identified several failings after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.

This was evident in the performances of the team.

Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.

A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The analysis also included just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, driven by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gambhir.

During his post-series press