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The Indian cricket team's shocking 0-2 loss to South Africa in the recently concluded Test series has plunged the side into crisis.

In the final match, the visiting team handed India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in the subcontinent in 25 years and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.

The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has all but vanished and the futures of several players - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.

A Promising Start Vanishes

The emerging side's impressive performance in England this season, under a different skipper, suggested a seamless changeover following the near-simultaneous exits of key players Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

A facile 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the start of the home season boosted that belief, till the South Africans came and inflicted a devastating defeat.

The home side were somewhat unlucky that skipper Gill got injured early on in the first Test and did not participate again in the series. But that fails to account for the side of the highly disappointing display in the two games against the opposition.

A number of star cricketers were damaged, and a few members aspiring to extended tenures in Tests were revealed to be not yet good enough - in ability or temperament - for the longer format.

A Troubling Pattern

This represented the second whitewash in home conditions experienced by the Indian team in just more than a year. Last year, underestimated New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 victory which effectively cost India a spot in the WTC final.

The recent defeat to the Proteas threatens to derail India's prospects of making the final of this cycle as well.

After being third in the WTC table before the series, India have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are remaining, half of these are against the Aussies. Ordinarily, performing in familiar conditions would be a huge advantage - even when facing the powerful Australians. Yet the debacles against New Zealand and South Africa provide no basis for such comfort.

Reasons for the Slump

The national team's vulnerability in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. Nevertheless, the reason the team have struggled so much in Test matches on home soil recently is still bewildering.

From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as impregnable in Test cricket at home. In demanding climates and on pitches that favored spin bowling and suited their batsmen and bowlers, India faced little challenge. The occasional loss, such as in 2012-13 against England, was considered an aberration.

Today, India appear to be beatable at home.

Versus the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, India were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as opponents capitalized on them more skillfully, outplaying India's batsmen and bowlers when it was most crucial.

The Core Issue

Certain analysts propose that the Indian team is failing at home because local wickets have been altered from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better overseas.

A few mention that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which many overseas players take part, has taken away the unfamiliarity and challenge Indian conditions would challenge them with before.

Although there is validity in both analyses, it still does not explain why the team's showings at home have experienced such a sharp fall.

Several Weaknesses

Most former players identify a complicated issue, not limited to a couple of reasons.

Critics and players have highlighted multiple deficiencies following India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, poor choices, overconfidence, regular alterations of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over Test cricket.

This was clear in the displays of the team.

Players like Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, suffered for their nonchalance, while Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in technique and temperament, facing the fallout for their nonchalant approach.

Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Washington Sundar - did justice to their skill and fame - but inadequately to win matches.

Coaching Scrutiny

The review didn't spare just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also under fire, driven by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the criticism was head coach Gautam Gambhir.

At his post-series press