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India's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.

Earlier this week, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the careers of several players - as well as head mentor the coach - now hang in the balance.

Early Optimism Disappears

The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover following the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.

India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par showing in each match against South Africa.

Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

This represented the second clean sweep at home suffered by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which practically cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's prospects of making the decider of this season as well.

After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to number five. Though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Typically, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.

Today, India look to be beatable on home turf.

Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to prepare players to do well in foreign conditions.

Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would present to them before.

While there is validity in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.

Various Shortcomings

Many past stars point to a multi-faceted challenge, not only a couple of reasons.

Experts and participants have highlighted several failings after the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was obvious in the displays of the team.

Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.

Leadership Under Fire

The post-mortem also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was mentor Gambhir.

In his post-series press