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India's surprising 0-2 loss 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 was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The winning rhythm built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Vanishes

The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover post the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.

India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the terribly sub-par display in each match against South Africa.

Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.

The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of making the showpiece of this edition also.

Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have fallen to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

India's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, why India have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.

Now, India seem beatable on home turf.

Against New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The tracks they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has taken away the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would present to them in the past.

Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.

Various Shortcomings

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.

Analysts and squad members have identified several failings following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.

This was clear in the showings of the squad.

Members such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to claim wins.

Leadership Under Fire

The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.

At his post-series press