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The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented South Africa's initial series triumph in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's second defeat at home in just one year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory established in the previous half-year has all but vanished and the prospects of a number of cricketers - including head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The emerging side's commendable display in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover following the close together retirements of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, till the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.

India were a bit unlucky that leader Gill got injured early on in the initial match and was ruled out in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.

Some big reputations were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.

Concerning History

It was the second series sweep on home soil experienced by India in just a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had secured a remarkable 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The latest loss to the Proteas threatens to derail the team's prospects of reaching the decider of this cycle also.

From number three in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to number five. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - including against the powerful Australians. But the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.

Causes of the Fall

India's frailty in the longer format has been clearly revealed. However, why the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil lately is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as unbeatable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. A rare failure, such as in 2012-13 against England, was viewed as an exception.

Now, the team seem vulnerable at home.

Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they prepared to help their style went wrong completely, as rivals capitalized on them more skillfully, beating the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.

What Happened?

Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is floundering at home because home surfaces have been changed from spinning tracks to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to succeed in foreign conditions.

A few mention that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them earlier.

Even though there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have seen such a dramatic drop.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers point to a multi-faceted challenge, not just a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: underrating the rivals, lack of preparation, flawed selections, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the team lineup, and prioritising white-ball over Test cricket.

This was obvious in the showings of the squad.

Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - came up short in skill and mindset, suffering the consequences for their casual attitude.

Only a handful - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to secure victories.

Coaching Scrutiny

The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - the selection panel and coaching staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. In the spotlight of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press