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India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The winning rhythm established in the past six months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.

India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. However, that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing display in the two games against South Africa.

Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

This was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which effectively cost India a place in the Test championship finale.

The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of making the showpiece of this cycle too.

From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have fallen to number five. Though nine more Tests are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for such comfort.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's weakness in the longer format 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, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an aberration.

Now, the team look to be beatable at home.

Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating 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 modified from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better abroad.

Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars play, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them in the past.

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

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.

This was clear in the displays of the side.

Members like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to claim wins.

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem targeted just the players - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press