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India's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent 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 gained during the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of several players - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover after the near-simultaneous exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 win over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season enhanced that perception, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill suffered an injury quickly in the initial match and took no further part in the contest. But that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.

Several established players were damaged, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second clean sweep in home conditions suffered by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had achieved a staggering 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's chances of qualifying for the decider of this season as well.

Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, the side have fallen to number five. Even though nine more Tests are remaining, five of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why India have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as invincible in Test cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.

Today, the team appear to be easy pickings in their own backyard.

Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it counted the most.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that India is struggling at home because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to do well overseas.

Others highlight that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them before.

Although there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Several Weaknesses

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to one or two factors.

Analysts and squad members have highlighted various flaws post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the performances of the team.

Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not well enough to claim wins.

Coaching Scrutiny

The analysis also included not only the cricketers - selectors and backroom team were also questioned, driven by disappointed supporters and outspoken ex-cricketers. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press