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The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

In the final match, South Africa handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's initial series triumph in India in a quarter-century and India's another home failure in just one year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The winning rhythm gained during the past six months has largely dissipated and the careers of a number of cricketers - as well as team coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.

A Promising Start Fades Quickly

The young team's commendable display in the UK this season, under a different skipper, suggested a successful handover following the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, before the South Africans turned up and handed out a devastating defeat.

India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Shubman Gill was injured early on in the opening Test and was ruled out in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the team of the terribly sub-par display in both Tests against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members aspiring to lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.

Worrying Trend

This was the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by India in just over a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had pulled off a staggering 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the WTC final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of making the decider of this edition as well.

Previously ranked third in the WTC table prior to the contest, India have been relegated to number five. Although nine further games are yet to be played, five of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a huge advantage - including against the powerful Australians. However the failures against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

India's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason India have struggled so much in Test matches at home lately is continues to confuse.

Since the turn of the century, India were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts brooked no opposition. A rare failure, such as in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.

Currently, the team appear to be vulnerable at home.

Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it mattered most.

What's Gone Wrong?

Certain analysts propose that India is floundering in home conditions because domestic pitches have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed abroad.

A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars play, has removed the mystery and hardship subcontinental pitches would challenge them with earlier.

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

Several Weaknesses

Many past stars diagnose a complicated issue, not limited to one or two factors.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to several failings post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, poor preparation, poor choices, arrogance, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over the longer format.

This was evident in the showings of the squad.

Players like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - fulfilled their talent and reputation - but not well enough to win matches.

Management Questions

The analysis also included the entire setup - team selectors and coaching staff were also criticized, spurred on by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the examination was mentor Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press