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

Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The momentum built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - along with team coach the coach - are now uncertain.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The young team's impressive performance in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover after the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the team of the well below standard performance in the two games against South Africa.

Some big reputations suffered, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.

After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to number five. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.

Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.

Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

Certain analysts propose that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed abroad.

A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players play, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them earlier.

Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

Most former players identify a complicated issue, not just a few causes.

Critics and players have identified multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.

This was obvious in the performances of the side.

Cricketers like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Management Questions

The post-mortem targeted just the players - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press