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India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.

A Promising Start Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.

India were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing performance in each match against South Africa.

Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.

The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of making the showpiece of this cycle also.

From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.

Currently, India seem vulnerable at home.

Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to succeed overseas.

Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them in the past.

Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a staggering decline.

Several Weaknesses

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

Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws after the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.

This was obvious in the showings of the team.

Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Management Questions

The review targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press