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

Earlier this week, South Africa inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.

A Promising Start Fades Quickly

The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par performance in the two games against the opposition.

Several established players took a hit, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.

A Troubling Pattern

This represented the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this cycle as well.

After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

India's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home recently is continues to confuse.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an exception.

Now, India look to be beatable at home.

Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

What Happened?

Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from turners to fast tracks to prepare players to do well overseas.

A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.

Even though there is validity in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results at home have experienced such a staggering decline.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.

Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the displays of the team.

Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.

Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The analysis targeted the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press