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India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.

In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, against all odds. This represented the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The momentum built over the last several months has largely dissipated and the prospects of several players - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Disappears

The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover post the close together exits of veterans Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.

India were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the series. Yet that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against the opposition.

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

A Troubling Pattern

This represented the second whitewash at home endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.

The fresh failure to South Africa threatens to derail India's chances of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.

From number three in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to fifth place. Though nine additional matches are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.

Since the turn of the century, India were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an exception.

Now, the team look to be beatable in their own backyard.

Facing New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The surfaces they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.

Even though there is some truth in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.

Several Weaknesses

Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.

This was clear in the performances of the team.

Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to claim wins.

Management Questions

The analysis also included just the players - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press