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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the recent Test series has left the team reeling.

In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest Test defeat by runs, against all odds. It marked the Proteas' first series win in India in two and a half decades and India's second defeat at home in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the futures of several players - including head coach Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.

Initial Hope Fades Quickly

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, suggested a seamless changeover post the close together exits of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A straightforward 2-0 victory over West Indies at the start of the home campaign strengthened that view, until the Proteas came and inflicted a crushing loss.

India were a tad unfortunate that captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury very early in the initial match and took no further part in the series. However, that does not excuse or justify the side of the highly disappointing showing in the two games against South Africa.

Several established players were damaged, and a few members eyeing extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not up to the mark - in skill or mindset - for the Test cricket.

Worrying Trend

This represented the second series sweep at home endured by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which effectively cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

The fresh failure to the Proteas risks harming India's chances of reaching the decider of this cycle as well.

After being third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are yet to be played, five of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the strong Australian side. Yet the failures against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for that confidence.

Roots of the Decline

India's frailty in red-ball cricket has been badly exposed. However, why the team have performed so poorly in Tests at home in recent times is continues to confuse.

In the 21st century, India were seen as impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. In hot, humid conditions and on tracks that favored spin bowling and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against the English, was seen as an anomaly.

Today, the team seem vulnerable on home turf.

Facing the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, India were beaten at their own game. The pitches they curated to suit their strengths failed miserably, as the opposition used them more effectively, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.

The Core Issue

Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been changed from turners to fast tracks to train the squad to perform better in foreign conditions.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players take part, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would present to them in the past.

Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it fails to account for the reason India's performances at home have seen such a staggering decline.

Multiple Failings

The majority of ex-cricketers identify a complicated issue, not limited to a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies post India's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, constant chopping and changing of the starting eleven, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was clear in the showings of the team.

Members such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their casual attitude.

A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their talent and reputation - but not well enough to secure victories.

Leadership Under Fire

The post-mortem didn't spare not only the cricketers - the selection panel and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and critical former players. In the spotlight of the examination was head coach Gambhir.

In his post-series press