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

Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The momentum gained during the previous half-year has almost disappeared and the careers of a number of cricketers - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.

A Promising Start Disappears

The young team's commendable display in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover following the close together exits of stalwarts Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the domestic season boosted that belief, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a crushing loss.

India were a bit unlucky that leader Shubman Gill suffered an injury early on in the first Test and took no further part in the contest. Yet that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par display in each match against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - technically or mentally - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

This was the second clean sweep in home conditions experienced by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which practically cost India a berth in the Test championship finale.

The latest loss to South Africa could damage the team's prospects of reaching the showpiece of this cycle as well.

After being third in the WTC rankings before the series, the side have been relegated to the fifth spot. Even though nine further games are still to come, a majority are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas offer no room for that confidence.

Causes of the Fall

India's weakness in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, why the team have fared so badly in Tests at home recently is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as impregnable in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was seen as an exception.

Currently, India seem vulnerable in their own backyard.

Against the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they curated to help their style backfired spectacularly, as rivals used them more effectively, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

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

A few mention that the IPL, in which numerous foreign cricketers take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty home wickets would pose to them before.

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

Various Shortcomings

Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not just a few causes.

Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, constant chopping and changing of the playing XI, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was evident in the showings of the side.

Players such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their spot in the side - fell short in technique and temperament, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The review also included just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was mentor Gambhir.

In his post-series press