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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

Earlier this week, the visiting team handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - along with head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.

A Promising Start Disappears

The new-look squad's impressive performance in the UK this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover following the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing display in the two games against the opposition.

Some big reputations took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.

Worrying Trend

This represented the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. In 2024, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 win which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.

The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of making the final of this edition as well.

After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.

Causes of the Fall

India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home recently is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an aberration.

Today, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.

Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they prepared to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better overseas.

A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players play, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.

While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.

Several Weaknesses

The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies following India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was obvious in the showings of the team.

Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - came up short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.

A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Leadership Under Fire

The post-mortem didn't spare the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press