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

Just days ago, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

Early Optimism Disappears

The young team's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover following the close together departures of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that captain Gill got injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.

The latest loss to South Africa risks harming India's chances of qualifying for the showpiece of this season as well.

After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the disasters against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.

Reasons for the Slump

India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.

Now, India seem beatable on home turf.

Versus the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to perform better in foreign conditions.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them earlier.

Although there is some truth in these views, it still does not explain the reason the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Multiple Failings

Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have highlighted various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.

This was obvious in the showings of the squad.

Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.

Management Questions

The review targeted just the players - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gambhir.

During his post-series press