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India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The positive trajectory built over the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

Early Optimism Disappears

The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent exits of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.

Some big reputations were damaged, and several players aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.

The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of qualifying for the final of this edition as well.

After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil recently is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.

Currently, the team look to be easy pickings at home.

Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that India is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.

While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have highlighted several failings after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over Test cricket.

This was clear in the displays of the team.

Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press