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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.

Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - including team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.

Initial Hope Disappears

The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition after the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing showing in each match against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just over a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's hopes of making the showpiece of this edition also.

Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the mighty Aussies. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.

Reasons for the Slump

India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an anomaly.

Today, India look to be vulnerable in their own backyard.

Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.

The Core Issue

Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.

A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would pose to them before.

Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it does not clarify why India's performances at home have seen such a dramatic drop.

Various Shortcomings

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

Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.

This was obvious in the displays of the team.

Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

Just a few - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Management Questions

The review targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press