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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the careers of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous exits of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill got injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the well below standard performance in each match against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a place in the Test championship finale.

The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of qualifying for the final of this edition also.

After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Even though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.

Reasons for the Slump

India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.

Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.

Today, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.

Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to suit their strengths backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen 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 turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars play, has reduced the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.

Although there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Various Shortcomings

Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.

Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies post the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.

This was obvious in the showings of the team.

Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The review didn't spare just the players - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gambhir.

At his post-series press