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India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.

Just days ago, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory gained during the past six months has almost disappeared and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - now hang in the balance.

A Promising Start Disappears

The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover after the close together retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the commencement of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.

The home side were a bit unlucky that skipper Gill was injured quickly in the first Test and was ruled out in the series. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against the opposition.

Several established players took a hit, and multiple individuals aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the format.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second clean sweep at home suffered by India in just over a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.

The recent defeat to South Africa could damage India's chances of reaching the decider of this cycle too.

Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings before the series, India have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home lately is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as invincible in red-ball cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The occasional loss, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an anomaly.

Currently, the team seem beatable on home turf.

Versus New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The tracks they developed to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.

What Happened?

A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with before.

Although there is validity in both analyses, it fails to account for why India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.

Various Shortcomings

Many past stars identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only one or two factors.

Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws following India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, arrogance, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the displays of the team.

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 hoping to secure their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not well enough to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The review targeted not only the cricketers - the selection panel and backroom team were also criticized, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gambhir.

At his post-series press