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

Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.

A Promising Start Disappears

The young team's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover post the close together departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing display in each match against the opposition.

Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.

Worrying Trend

This represented the second series sweep on home soil experienced by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of making the decider of this season too.

After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Roots of the Decline

India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.

In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.

Currently, India appear to be beatable at home.

Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.

What Happened?

A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.

Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has removed the mystery and hardship Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.

Even though there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was evident in the showings of the side.

Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.

Management Questions

The analysis targeted the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press