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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to the Proteas in the recently concluded red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.

Just days ago, South Africa inflicted upon India a record defeat in terms of runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The winning rhythm gained during the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the futures of multiple squad members - including head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Vanishes

The young team's commendable display in the UK this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a seamless changeover after the almost concurrent exits of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 victory over the Windies at the beginning of the domestic season strengthened that view, until the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.

India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill got injured very early in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that does not excuse or justify the squad of the well below standard display in the two games against the opposition.

Some big reputations were damaged, and a few members hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as not yet good enough - technically or mentally - for the format.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second whitewash at home suffered by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had pulled off a surprising 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to South Africa risks harming India's prospects of qualifying for the showpiece of this edition as well.

Previously ranked third in the WTC table before the series, the side have been relegated to number five. Even though nine further games are remaining, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.

Reasons for the Slump

India's vulnerability in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches on home soil in recent times is still bewildering.

Since the turn of the century, India were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that assisted spinners and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was considered an aberration.

Today, India look to be vulnerable at home.

Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, 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, outplaying the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that India is struggling in home conditions because local wickets have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to succeed in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would pose to them earlier.

While there is some truth in both analyses, it fails to account for why the team's showings on home soil have experienced such a staggering decline.

Several Weaknesses

Many past stars point to a complicated issue, not only a few causes.

Experts and participants have identified various flaws post the team's disappointing performance to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the displays of the squad.

Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their nonchalant approach.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem targeted the entire setup - the selection panel and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by upset followers and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press