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

Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Disappears

The emerging side's commendable display in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a successful handover post the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.

India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par performance in each match against the opposition.

Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.

Concerning History

This was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the decider of this edition also.

From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

India's vulnerability in the longer format has been badly exposed. That said, why India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.

Today, the team appear to be easy pickings in their own backyard.

Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.

While there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.

Various Shortcomings

Many past stars diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws following the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the performances of the squad.

Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Management Questions

The review didn't spare the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was head coach Gambhir.

At his post-series press