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The Indian cricket team's surprising 0-2 defeat to South Africa in the recent Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, against all odds. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in two and a half decades and India's another home failure in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.

The momentum established in the last several months has all but vanished and the careers of several players - including head mentor the coach - are now uncertain.

Initial Hope Vanishes

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a new captain, indicated a seamless changeover following the almost concurrent retirements of stalwarts Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

An easy 2-0 win over the Windies at the beginning of the home season boosted that belief, till the Proteas arrived to deliver a devastating defeat.

India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill got injured early on in the first Test and took no further part in the series. But that neither explains nor absolves the team of the well below standard display in the two games against South Africa.

Several established players took a hit, and a few members hoping for lengthy Test careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

It was the second series sweep on home soil suffered by India in just more than a year. Last year, little-fancied the Kiwis had pulled off a remarkable 3-0 win which essentially denied the hosts a spot in the Test championship finale.

The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail the team's hopes of reaching the final of this cycle as well.

Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, the side have fallen to the fifth spot. Although nine additional matches are still to come, a majority are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, competing on home turf would be a significant benefit - including against the powerful Australians. However the failures against New Zealand and the Proteas offer no room for such assurance.

Causes of the Fall

The national team's vulnerability in red-ball cricket has been clearly revealed. However, the reason India have performed so poorly in Test matches at home in recent times is remains puzzling.

From the year 2000 onwards, India were regarded as invincible in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that assisted spinners and aided their squad, India faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, like in the 2012-13 season against England, was viewed as an anomaly.

Currently, the team look to be vulnerable on home turf.

Against New Zealand in last year and South Africa this year, the home side were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it mattered most.

The Core Issue

A few experts argue that India is struggling in home conditions because domestic pitches have been modified from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better abroad.

Some point out that the domestic T20 league, in which numerous foreign cricketers participate, has reduced the surprise and difficulty home wickets would present to them earlier.

While there is validity in each argument, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a staggering decline.

Several Weaknesses

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

Analysts and squad members have pointed to multiple deficiencies after the team's embarrassing defeat to the South Africans: underrating the rivals, inadequate readiness, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the playing XI, and favoring white-ball over the longer format.

This was evident in the performances of the squad.

Cricketers such as Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, were punished for their carelessness, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were hoping to secure their position in the squad - came up short in ability and attitude, paying a heavy price for their casual attitude.

Just a few - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.

Leadership Under Fire

The post-mortem didn't spare just the players - team selectors and support staff were also under fire, driven by upset followers and critical former players. At the centre of the scrutiny was team coach Gambhir.

During his post-series press