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India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in 25 years and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.

Early Optimism Disappears

The new-look squad's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover following the close together departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in each match against the opposition.

Some big reputations were damaged, and several players eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.

Worrying Trend

This represented the second series sweep on home soil suffered by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.

The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's hopes of qualifying for the final of this cycle as well.

After being third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.

Now, the team seem easy pickings at home.

Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed overseas.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them before.

Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Various Shortcomings

The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.

Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.

This was evident in the showings of the squad.

Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their place in the team - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.

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

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press