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India's surprising 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded Test series has left the team reeling.

In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second defeat at home in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The positive trajectory built over the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of multiple squad members - including head coach the coach - now hang in the balance.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's strong showing in England this season, under a new captain, suggested a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous departures of key players R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the home season strengthened that view, till the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

India were a tad unfortunate that leader Shubman Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the team of the terribly sub-par performance in both Tests against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were revealed to be not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

This was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a place in the WTC final.

The latest loss to the Proteas could damage India's chances of qualifying for the final of this edition as well.

Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have fallen to number five. Though nine further games are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Usually, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.

Roots of the Decline

India's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.

Currently, India look to be vulnerable on home turf.

Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.

What Happened?

Certain analysts propose that India is struggling in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to quick wickets to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge subcontinental pitches would challenge them with in the past.

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

Various Shortcomings

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not only a couple of reasons.

Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws after India's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.

This was evident in the performances of the team.

Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their spot in the side - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Management Questions

The analysis targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the examination was head coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press