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India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It was South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum established in the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The emerging side's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.

India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. But that does not excuse or justify the side of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against South Africa.

Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.

Concerning History

This was the second whitewash at home suffered by India in just over a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of making the decider of this cycle also.

From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine more Tests are yet to be played, half of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.

Reasons for the Slump

India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.

Now, India appear to be easy pickings in their own backyard.

Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.

What Happened?

Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed abroad.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with earlier.

While there is validity in these views, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have experienced such a sharp fall.

Multiple Failings

Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.

This was evident in the showings of the team.

Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.

Leadership Under Fire

The review targeted just the players - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.

During his post-series press