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India's unexpected 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The momentum built over the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.

Initial Hope Disappears

The emerging side's commendable display in England this season, under a fresh leadership, suggested a smooth transition following the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, till the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.

India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the squad of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and several players hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

Concerning History

This was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this season also.

After being third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a significant benefit - including against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's frailty in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Tests at home lately is remains puzzling.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.

Now, India look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.

Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed abroad.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them before.

Although there is validity in each argument, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.

Various Shortcomings

The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.

Experts and participants have pointed to several failings after India's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.

This was obvious in the performances of the team.

Players such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to claim wins.

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press