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India's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

In the final match, South Africa gave India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a 12-year invincible streak.

The winning rhythm built over the last several months has all but vanished and the futures of a number of cricketers - including team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

Early Optimism Fades Quickly

The young team's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, indicated a successful handover after the near-simultaneous retirements of veterans Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the domestic season boosted that belief, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

The home side were a bit unlucky that captain Gill was injured quickly in the initial match and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the well below standard performance in both Tests against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were exposed as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the Test cricket.

Concerning History

It was the second clean sweep at home experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas could damage India's prospects of making the showpiece of this season as well.

After being third in the WTC table ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Although nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a major plus - even when facing the strong Australian side. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas provide no basis for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. That said, the reason India have struggled so much in Tests at home in recent times is still bewildering.

In the 21st century, India were considered unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India dominated all comers. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an exception.

Today, India seem beatable on home turf.

Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The tracks they prepared to help their style backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.

What's Gone Wrong?

A few experts argue that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to pace-friendly pitches to get cricketers ready to succeed abroad.

Some point out that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the unfamiliarity and challenge home wickets would pose to them before.

Even though there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have witnessed such a sharp fall.

Various Shortcomings

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

Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws after India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, poor preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the playing XI, and emphasizing limited-overs over the longer format.

This was clear in the performances of the side.

Members like Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Leadership Under Fire

The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, spurred on by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press