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India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

In the final match, South Africa inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The young team's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.

India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against South Africa.

Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.

Concerning History

This was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this cycle too.

After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to fifth place. Although nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. Yet the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.

Roots of the Decline

India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an anomaly.

Currently, the team seem easy pickings at home.

Facing New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.

Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with earlier.

While there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.

Various Shortcomings

Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just one or two factors.

Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.

This was obvious in the performances of the squad.

Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The review targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press