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India's surprising 0-2 loss to South Africa in the just finished Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

In the final match, the visiting team gave India their heaviest loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. It was South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and the host nation's another home failure in just one year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The momentum established in the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of multiple squad members - as well as team coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

Early Optimism Vanishes

The emerging side's strong showing in England this season, under a different skipper, pointed to a successful handover following the close together retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, before the South Africans arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that leader Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the side of the highly disappointing display in both Tests against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were exposed as not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the format.

A Troubling Pattern

This was the second series sweep in home conditions endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the WTC final.

The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's hopes of reaching the final of this edition too.

From number three in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, India have dropped to number five. Though nine additional matches are still to come, half of these are against the Aussies. Usually, playing at home would be a huge advantage - even when facing the mighty Aussies. But the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Roots of the Decline

The national team's frailty in Test cricket has been badly exposed. However, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in Test cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was considered an aberration.

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

Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as rivals exploited them better, surpassing India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.

What's Gone Wrong?

A few experts argue that India is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from spinning tracks to quick wickets to train the squad to perform better overseas.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them before.

While there is some truth in both analyses, it still does not explain why India's performances at home have experienced such a sharp fall.

Multiple Failings

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

Experts and participants have identified multiple deficiencies post the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was clear in the showings of the side.

Members such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, were punished for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to secure victories.

Management Questions

The post-mortem targeted not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. Under focus of the criticism was head coach Gambhir.

At his post-series press