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India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The winning rhythm established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.

Early Optimism Disappears

The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.

India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against the opposition.

Several established players suffered, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

This was the second clean sweep on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail India's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this cycle too.

After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.

Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.

Currently, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.

Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well overseas.

Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them before.

Even though there is validity in each argument, it does not clarify why the team's showings at home have seen such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.

Experts and participants have identified several failings after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.

This was obvious in the displays of the side.

Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - fell short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.

Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Management Questions

The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.

At his post-series press