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India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

Just days ago, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of several players - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, indicated a successful handover after the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing display in the two games against the opposition.

Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.

The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of reaching the final of this season too.

Previously ranked third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Although nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. But the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.

Roots of the Decline

India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason the team have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an anomaly.

Now, India appear to be beatable at home.

Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.

What Happened?

A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been modified from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better overseas.

A few mention that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them before.

While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.

Multiple Failings

Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have highlighted various flaws following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.

This was evident in the showings of the side.

Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Leadership Under Fire

The review also included just the players - selectors and support staff were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press