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

Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The momentum gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - including head coach the coach - are now uncertain.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, pointed to a successful handover post the almost concurrent departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

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

The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill got injured very early in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that does not excuse or justify the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's hopes of reaching the decider of this season as well.

After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have fallen to fifth place. Although nine additional matches are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even against the mighty Aussies. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.

Today, India look to be easy pickings on home turf.

Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.

What Happened?

Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.

Although there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have seen such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.

Experts and participants have highlighted multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.

This was obvious in the showings of the side.

Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.

Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Coaching Scrutiny

The analysis targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press