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India's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

Just days ago, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

Early Optimism Vanishes

The emerging side's strong showing in the UK this season, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a crushing loss.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the team of the well below standard showing in each match against the opposition.

Several established players suffered, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

Worrying Trend

This represented the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.

The latest loss to South Africa could damage India's chances of reaching the decider of this cycle as well.

From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine further games are still to come, five of these are against the Aussies. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. However the disasters against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

India's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.

Today, the team seem beatable in their own backyard.

Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were defeated by their own tactics. The pitches they developed to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Certain analysts propose that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been changed from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.

A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has taken away the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would challenge them with before.

Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings at home have witnessed such a dramatic drop.

Multiple Failings

Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a few causes.

Critics and players have highlighted various flaws following the team's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the displays of the squad.

Members like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

Only a handful - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gambhir.

During his post-series press