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India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.

Earlier this week, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the careers of several players - as well as team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Disappears

The new-look squad's commendable display in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition after the almost concurrent retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Shubman Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against the opposition.

Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the format.

Worrying Trend

This represented the second series sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a spot in the WTC final.

The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's hopes of making the showpiece of this season as well.

After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa offer no room for that confidence.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's weakness in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, why India have fared so badly in Tests on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was considered an exception.

Currently, India appear to be beatable on home turf.

Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying the home team's players when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.

A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty subcontinental pitches would pose to them in the past.

Even though there is validity in these views, it still does not explain why the side's results on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

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

Analysts and squad members have highlighted multiple deficiencies post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the showings of the side.

Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, 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 ability and attitude, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Leadership Under Fire

The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - selectors and support staff were also questioned, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the examination was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press