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The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The momentum gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of several players - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.

Initial Hope Vanishes

The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, pointed to a seamless changeover post the almost concurrent exits of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.

The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing performance in each match against the opposition.

Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

This was the second whitewash in home conditions suffered by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which practically cost India a place in the WTC final.

The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's prospects of making the final of this season as well.

After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil recently is continues to confuse.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.

Currently, India look to be beatable at home.

Facing the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they curated to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals exploited them better, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.

What's Gone Wrong?

A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better abroad.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.

Although there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason India's performances on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not only a couple of reasons.

Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.

This was clear in the displays of the team.

Players like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not well enough to secure victories.

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem targeted just the players - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gambhir.

During his post-series press