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The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Disappears

The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition post the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the domestic season strengthened that view, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing display in each match against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.

Worrying Trend

This was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which essentially denied India a place in the Test championship finale.

The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of making the decider of this cycle as well.

From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil in recent times is continues to confuse.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.

Now, the team appear to be easy pickings at home.

Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as opponents exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.

What's Gone Wrong?

Some suggest that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them before.

While there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.

Experts and participants have highlighted several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the team lineup, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was evident in the showings of the squad.

Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.

Coaching Scrutiny

The review didn't spare just the players - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press