Invincible A Thing of the Past: The Reasons The Indian Test Match Legacy Has Crumbled

India's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - as well as head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Disappears

The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, suggested a smooth transition post the close together exits of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.

India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. However, that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing performance in each match against South Africa.

Several established players were damaged, and several players aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the Test championship finale.

The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of making the final of this cycle too.

From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have fallen to fifth place. Although nine further games are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.

Causes of the Fall

India's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.

In the 21st century, India were regarded as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.

Now, India seem easy pickings on home turf.

Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.

A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.

Even though there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for the reason the side's results on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complicated issue, not just a few causes.

Experts and participants have highlighted several failings after the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the showings of the team.

Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The analysis targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press