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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the just finished Test series has left the team reeling.

In the final match, South Africa gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The momentum built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - including head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Disappears

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the domestic season boosted that belief, till the Proteas came and inflicted a fell blow.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par showing in both Tests against South Africa.

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

Concerning History

This represented the second clean sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.

The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this cycle as well.

After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the disasters against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.

Currently, India seem easy pickings on home turf.

Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to quick wickets to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them before.

While there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a dramatic drop.

Various Shortcomings

Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a couple of reasons.

Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.

This was evident in the performances of the squad.

Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.

A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.

Leadership Under Fire

The review also included not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press