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India's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.

The momentum established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition after the almost concurrent retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against South Africa.

Some big reputations were damaged, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.

A Troubling Pattern

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

The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's hopes of reaching the decider of this edition too.

After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have dropped to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.

Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.

Now, the team seem vulnerable at home.

Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.

What's Gone Wrong?

A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.

Although there is validity in these views, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.

Multiple Failings

Most former players point to a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have highlighted multiple deficiencies following India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.

This was clear in the performances of the side.

Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Management Questions

The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.

At his post-series press