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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

Just days ago, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The young team's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

India were a bit unlucky that captain Gill got injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.

Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

Worrying Trend

It was the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's chances of qualifying for the final of this season also.

From number three in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.

Reasons for the Slump

India's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home recently is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an anomaly.

Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable at home.

Versus New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed abroad.

Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.

Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for why the side's results at home have experienced such a staggering decline.

Various Shortcomings

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.

Experts and participants have pointed to several failings post the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.

This was clear in the showings of the team.

Players such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Leadership Under Fire

The analysis targeted just the players - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.

At his post-series press