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India's shocking 0-2 series loss to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has left the team reeling.

In the final match, South Africa handed India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - including team coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Disappears

The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover following the close together exits of veterans R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the well below standard display in both Tests against South Africa.

Several established players suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were exposed as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.

Concerning History

This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had secured a staggering 3-0 victory which essentially denied India a berth in the WTC final.

The latest loss to South Africa risks harming the team's prospects of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.

From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have dropped to number five. Even though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Typically, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. However the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

India's weakness in Test cricket has been badly exposed. That said, why India have struggled so much in Tests at home recently is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were considered invincible in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an aberration.

Now, the team look to be easy pickings in their own backyard.

Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they developed to help their style backfired spectacularly, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that the Indian team is failing at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to fast tracks to get cricketers ready to do well overseas.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players participate, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them earlier.

Even though there is some truth in these views, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings at home have seen such a sharp fall.

Various Shortcomings

Most former players point to a multi-faceted challenge, not limited to a few causes.

Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies after the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over the longer format.

This was clear in the showings of the side.

Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

A small number - Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Management Questions

The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and support staff were also under fire, fuelled by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

During his post-series press