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

Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second home series loss in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The winning rhythm established in the last several months has largely dissipated and the futures of a number of cricketers - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.

Early Optimism Disappears

The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition following the close together retirements of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill was injured very early in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard showing in both Tests against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

This represented the second whitewash on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the Test championship finale.

The fresh failure to South Africa could damage India's hopes of reaching the final of this season also.

From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times 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 favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.

Today, India seem beatable on home turf.

Against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.

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

Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a sharp fall.

Various Shortcomings

Many past stars diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was evident in the showings of the squad.

Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.

Management Questions

The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.

In his post-series press