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

In the final match, South Africa handed India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory established in the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's strong showing in the UK this season, under a different skipper, indicated a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.

India were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard display in the two games against the opposition.

Some big reputations took a hit, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second whitewash at home experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the Test championship finale.

The latest loss to South Africa could damage India's hopes of making the final of this edition too.

From number three in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have dropped to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such assurance.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's frailty in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.

Since the turn of the century, India were seen as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.

Now, India appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.

Facing New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

What Happened?

A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.

Even though there is validity in each argument, it still does not explain the reason India's performances at home have experienced such a sharp fall.

Several Weaknesses

Many past stars identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to various flaws post the team's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was obvious in the showings of the team.

Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.

Leadership Under Fire

The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.

During his post-series press