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

Just days ago, South Africa handed India a record loss in Test cricket, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and the host nation's second defeat at home in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The winning rhythm established in the past six months has almost disappeared and the prospects of multiple squad members - along with head coach the coach - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, pointed to a successful handover post the almost concurrent departures of stalwarts R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign boosted that belief, until the South Africans arrived to deliver a crushing loss.

India were a bit unlucky that leader Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and took no further part in the series. But that fails to account for the team of the highly disappointing performance in both Tests against South Africa.

A number of star cricketers took a hit, and a few members eyeing long red-ball careers were revealed to be still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

Concerning History

This was the second clean sweep on home soil endured by the Indian team in just a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which essentially denied the hosts a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming India's hopes of qualifying for the decider of this edition as well.

From number three in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to number five. Though nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Usually, performing in familiar conditions would be a significant benefit - even against the powerful Australians. However the debacles against the Kiwis and South Africa provide no basis for that confidence.

Causes of the Fall

India's frailty in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. However, the reason the team have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is still bewildering.

Since the turn of the century, the Indian cricket team were considered invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In hot, humid conditions and on surfaces that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India dominated all comers. The occasional loss, such as in the 2012-13 season against the English, was viewed as an anomaly.

Currently, India seem easy pickings at home.

Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa currently, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to favor their game went wrong completely, as opponents used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.

What Happened?

Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to train the squad to succeed in foreign conditions.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which several international stars take part, has removed the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would pose to them in the past.

While there is a degree of accuracy in both analyses, it does not clarify why the side's results on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.

Multiple Failings

Many past stars point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to one or two factors.

Experts and participants have identified several failings following the team's humiliating loss to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, inadequate readiness, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was clear in the showings of the squad.

Cricketers such as Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, paid for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - fell short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their nonchalant approach.

A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but not sufficiently to claim wins.

Leadership Under Fire

The review targeted the entire setup - selectors and backroom team were also criticized, spurred on by disappointed supporters and critical former players. At the centre of the examination was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press