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The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.

In the final match, the visiting team handed India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The positive trajectory established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The emerging side's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

The home side were a bit unlucky that leader Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing display in each match against South Africa.

Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals eyeing extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.

The recent defeat to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of making the final of this cycle also.

Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to the fifth spot. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. But the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.

Today, India seem easy pickings in their own backyard.

Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, surpassing the home team's players when it counted the most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.

Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would pose to them earlier.

Even though there is validity in each argument, it does not clarify why India's performances on home soil have experienced such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.

Experts and participants have pointed to various flaws after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was evident in the performances of the team.

Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Management Questions

The post-mortem also included the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press