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India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

Earlier this week, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The momentum built over the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition following the close together departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.

The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. Yet that does not excuse or justify the team of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

This represented the second whitewash at home experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.

The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this edition too.

After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.

Since the turn of the century, India were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an anomaly.

Today, the team look to be vulnerable at home.

Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.

What Happened?

Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.

A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would challenge them with before.

Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain why the team's showings on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.

Several Weaknesses

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.

Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.

This was evident in the performances of the squad.

Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to secure victories.

Management Questions

The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press