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India's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.

In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, contrary to predictions. It marked the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in two and a half decades and the host nation's another home failure in just a year after a 12-year invincible streak.

The positive trajectory built over the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of several players - along with head mentor the coach - are under scrutiny.

Initial Hope Disappears

The new-look squad's impressive performance in England this summer, under a different skipper, pointed to a seamless changeover post the close together departures of key players R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Kohli.

A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the commencement of the domestic season strengthened that view, before the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that captain Shubman Gill got injured early on in the opening Test and did not participate again in the series. However, that fails to account for the team of the well below standard performance in the two games against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals aspiring to long red-ball careers were shown as not up to the mark - in ability or temperament - for the format.

Concerning History

It was the second whitewash on home soil experienced by India in just more than a year. Last year, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a staggering 3-0 triumph which essentially denied India a berth in the Test championship finale.

The latest loss to the Proteas risks harming the team's hopes of reaching the decider of this season too.

Previously ranked third in the Test championship standings prior to the contest, India have fallen to number five. Although nine more Tests are remaining, a majority are against Australia. Typically, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even against the strong Australian side. However the debacles against the Kiwis and the Proteas leave little scope for such assurance.

Roots of the Decline

India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, the reason India have fared so badly in Tests at home lately is continues to confuse.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were regarded as impregnable in red-ball cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on pitches that helped spin and aided their squad, the hosts faced little challenge. The odd series defeat, such as in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an exception.

Currently, the team look to be easy pickings on home turf.

Versus the Kiwis in last year and the Proteas this year, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The pitches they prepared to favor their game failed miserably, as rivals exploited them better, beating India's batsmen and bowlers when it counted the most.

What Happened?

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

Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars participate, has removed the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would present to them in the past.

While there is some truth in each argument, it fails to account for the reason the team's showings on home soil have seen such a sharp fall.

Multiple Failings

Most former players diagnose a complex, multi-headed problem, not limited to a few causes.

Analysts and squad members have identified various flaws following the team's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, questionable picks, excessive self-belief, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and prioritising limited-overs over red-ball cricket.

This was obvious in the showings of the side.

Cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their place in the team - were found wanting in skill and mindset, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj and Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to claim wins.

Management Questions

The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - selectors and support staff were also questioned, fuelled by distraught fans and vocal past stars. At the centre of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.

In his post-series press