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India's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this summer, under a new captain, suggested a successful handover post the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing showing in both Tests against South Africa.

Some big reputations suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the Test cricket.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's hopes of making the decider of this season as well.

After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's weakness in the longer format has been badly exposed. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.

Currently, India seem easy pickings at home.

Facing New Zealand in 2024 and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to suit their strengths went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.

What's Gone Wrong?

A few experts argue that the Indian team is floundering at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed abroad.

Some point out that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would present to them earlier.

Even though there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the team's showings at home have seen such a sharp fall.

Various Shortcomings

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

Experts and participants have highlighted various flaws post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over Test cricket.

This was obvious in the performances of the team.

Members like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.

A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.

Coaching Scrutiny

The analysis also included the entire setup - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press