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India's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.

Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition post the almost concurrent exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.

India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.

Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

This was the second whitewash at home experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.

The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of reaching the final of this edition as well.

From number three in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.

Reasons for the Slump

India's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is remains puzzling.

In the 21st century, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.

Now, India appear to be beatable at home.

Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.

What's Gone Wrong?

A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.

Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.

Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.

Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.

This was evident in the showings of the squad.

Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.

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

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press