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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.

In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The winning rhythm established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Disappears

The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition following the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.

The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard display in each match against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

It was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's prospects of making the decider of this season too.

Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.

Currently, the team look to be vulnerable on home turf.

Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.

Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them before.

While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.

Several Weaknesses

The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the performances of the squad.

Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.

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

Leadership Under Fire

The review didn't spare just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press