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India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

In the final match, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades 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 past six months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - along with head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.

Early Optimism Disappears

The emerging side's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent exits of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a fell blow.

India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.

Several established players were damaged, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.

Concerning History

It was the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's hopes of qualifying for the final of this cycle also.

After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for that confidence.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, the reason the team have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as invincible in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an aberration.

Now, India appear to be vulnerable at home.

Versus New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition exploited them better, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.

Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them earlier.

While there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for why the team's showings at home have seen such a dramatic drop.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.

Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies following India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was obvious in the displays of the team.

Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press