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The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

Just days ago, the visiting team gave India a record defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has all but vanished and the futures of multiple squad members - as well as head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.

A Promising Start Fades Quickly

The young team's impressive performance in England this season, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover post the close together departures of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 win over the Windies at the commencement of the home campaign enhanced that perception, till the Proteas came and inflicted a devastating defeat.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill got injured early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that fails to account for the squad of the highly disappointing performance in each match against the opposition.

Several established players took a hit, and several players hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.

Concerning History

This represented the second clean sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 triumph which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the Test championship finale.

The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's chances of qualifying for the final of this cycle as well.

After being third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have dropped to fifth place. Although nine further games are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - including against the strong Australian side. But the disasters against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

India's frailty in the longer format has been badly exposed. Nevertheless, why the team have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that helped spin and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.

Now, India seem easy pickings on home turf.

Versus New Zealand in last year and the Proteas currently, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it was most crucial.

What's Gone Wrong?

Some suggest that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the IPL, in which several international stars take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them in the past.

Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have experienced such a sharp fall.

Various Shortcomings

Most former players identify a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a couple of reasons.

Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and favoring white-ball over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the performances of the side.

Players such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.

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

Management Questions

The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and critical former players. In the spotlight of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press