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The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has left the team reeling.

Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum gained during the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Disappears

The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition following the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

India were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill got injured early on in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard display in each match against the opposition.

Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

It was the second whitewash at home experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which effectively cost India a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this season also.

From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.

Roots of the Decline

India's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an anomaly.

Today, India seem beatable at home.

Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.

What Happened?

A few experts argue that India is failing at home because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better abroad.

A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.

Although there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a dramatic drop.

Multiple Failings

Most former players identify a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.

This was evident in the performances of the squad.

Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.

Leadership Under Fire

The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.

In his post-series press