Unbeatable No More: Why The Indian Test Cricket Standing Has Crumbled

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

In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.

Initial Hope Disappears

The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition after the close together retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the start of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the South Africans came and inflicted a fell blow.

The home side were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured very early in the opening Test and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

Worrying Trend

It was the second series sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.

The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's chances of making the final of this season also.

After being third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have dropped to number five. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even against the powerful Australians. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, India were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.

Now, India seem vulnerable in their own backyard.

Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to suit their strengths failed miserably, as opponents used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

What Happened?

Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed abroad.

A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has removed the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with in the past.

While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

The majority of ex-cricketers diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the performances of the squad.

Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Management Questions

The analysis also included not only the cricketers - team selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press