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India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.

Earlier this week, South Africa handed India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It marked South Africa's maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and India's second home series loss in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - as well as head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.

A Promising Start Disappears

The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a new captain, pointed to a smooth transition post the close together retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home campaign enhanced that perception, until the Proteas turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

India were somewhat unlucky that leader Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the highly disappointing performance in the two games against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members hoping for long red-ball careers were exposed as still inadequate - in ability or temperament - for the format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second whitewash on home soil endured by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a spot in the WTC final.

The fresh failure to the Proteas threatens to derail India's chances of making the decider of this season too.

Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings before the series, India have dropped to fifth place. Although nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a major plus - including against the mighty Aussies. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa leave little scope for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

India's frailty in Test cricket has been clearly revealed. Nevertheless, why India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on tracks that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was seen as an aberration.

Now, India appear to be vulnerable in their own backyard.

Against the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The pitches they developed to favor their game backfired spectacularly, as opponents exploited them better, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to perform better in foreign conditions.

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.

While there is a degree of accuracy in these views, it still does not explain the reason the team's showings on home soil have witnessed such a dramatic drop.

Several Weaknesses

Most former players identify a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have identified various flaws following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, questionable picks, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was obvious in the performances of the squad.

Cricketers like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their lackadaisical method.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but not well enough to secure victories.

Management Questions

The post-mortem also included the entire setup - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.

At his post-series press