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

Just days ago, South Africa gave India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory established in the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of multiple squad members - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.

Initial Hope Vanishes

The emerging side's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a smooth transition after the near-simultaneous exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the Proteas turned up and handed out a crushing loss.

India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured very early in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the side of the well below standard performance in the two games against the opposition.

Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.

Concerning History

This was the second whitewash in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The recent defeat to South Africa threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this season as well.

After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Though nine further games are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

India's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.

Currently, the team look to be easy pickings at home.

Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well abroad.

Some point out that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them before.

While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it fails to account for why the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.

Multiple Failings

Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not just a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have pointed to several failings post the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was obvious in the displays of the side.

Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.

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

Coaching Scrutiny

The analysis also included not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, driven by distraught fans and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.

During his post-series press