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

In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It was the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in two and a half decades 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 largely dissipated and the prospects of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - are now uncertain.

Initial Hope Disappears

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a fell blow.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Gill suffered an injury early on in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard display in the two games against South Africa.

Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for lengthy Test careers were exposed 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 experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost the hosts a place in the WTC final.

The fresh failure to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of making the final of this season as well.

From number three in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have dropped to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - even when facing the powerful Australians. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.

Roots of the Decline

India's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason the team have struggled so much in Tests on home soil in recent times is remains puzzling.

In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.

Currently, the team look to be easy pickings at home.

Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents used them more effectively, outplaying the home team's players when it was most crucial.

What's Gone Wrong?

Some suggest that the Indian team is floundering in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to perform better overseas.

A few mention that the IPL, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with in the past.

Even though there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.

Multiple Failings

Many past stars point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have identified multiple deficiencies post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, excessive self-belief, frequent changes of the playing XI, and favoring limited-overs over the longer format.

This was obvious in the performances of the team.

Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.

Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also criticized, fuelled by upset followers and vocal past stars. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.

During his post-series press