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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Fades Quickly

The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition post the close together retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.

The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.

Worrying Trend

This was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's hopes of making the decider of this edition too.

After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated 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 against the mighty Aussies. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is still bewildering.

Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.

Now, the team seem easy pickings on home turf.

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

The Core Issue

Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed overseas.

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

While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a staggering decline.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.

Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.

This was clear in the showings of the squad.

Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.

A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The analysis also included the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.

During his post-series press