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

Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The momentum built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.

The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured very early in the initial match and was ruled out in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the side of the well below standard showing in the two games against the opposition.

Several established players were damaged, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.

Worrying Trend

This was the second whitewash at home suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this season as well.

After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to fifth place. Although nine further games are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

India's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.

In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.

Now, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.

Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.

What Happened?

Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with in the past.

Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.

Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the performances of the side.

Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Management Questions

The analysis targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press