India's golden generation: Dominance ends as pillars retire

When India take the field against the West Indies, in Ahmedabad on Thursday (October 2), the playing XI will feel decidedly unfamiliar. It marks a new era for India's Test team, as it will be without four mainstays of India's recent success in the format: R. Ashwin, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma - all of whom retired from the format following the recent Border-Gavaskar series - and Cheteshwar Pujara, whose retirement was announced after his final appearance in the 2023 World Test Championship final.

These four, alongside Ravindra Jadeja, formed the five pillars of India's decade-long home dominance, during which the team won an unprecedented 18 consecutive series before the 0-3 ambush against New Zealand last year. Kohli, Pujara, and Rohit were the top three run-scorers in that era, while the devastating Ashwin-Jadeja spin pair topped the wicket-taking charts.

Most consecutive series wins at home

India's streak of 18 consecutive home series victories nearly doubled the previous record of 10, which was held by the great Australian teams of the 1990s and 2000s. Australia still holds the overall longest undefeated home run, however: between their series defeats to the West Indies in 1992/93 and to South Africa in 2008/09, they went 28 successive home rubbers undefeated, the only sequence longer than India's 18 that ended last year. India's previous longest unbeaten streak at home was 14 series between their defeats to Pakistan in 1986/87 and to South Africa in 1999/00 where they won ten and four ended in stalemates.

India won 42 of the 53 Tests across 19 series since the start of 2013, losing just seven matches of which three came against New Zealand last year. Of the 42 wins, 16 were innings victories, 15 of the 16 by runs came with winning margin over 100 runs and of the ten wins by wickets, the closest was a five-wicket win.

Before the whitewash against New Zealand, India's last failure to win a home series occurred back in 2012/13 against England. That series proved to be a foundational one, seeing the establishment of players like Pujara, Kohli, and Ashwin in the side, and marking Ravindra Jadeja's debut in the format.

Only 15 of 144 players who have played 40 or more home Tests have managed to win over 70% of those matches. This elite list is overwhelmingly dominated by Australians: eight players from the great 1990s and 2000s era hold spots, including each of the top six positions, and they are joined by the more recent David Warner, Steven Smith, and Mitchell Starc. The only four non-Australians to make the cut were the core Indian quartet responsible for their successful 2013-2024 home period: Pujara, Ashwin, Kohli, and Jadeja.

Highest win% in home Tests (40+ Tests)

The statistical dominance of this Indian era is perhaps best captured by one final metric: only five players in Test history have won over 90% of the home series they played (featured in at least 15 series), and four of them are from India's 2013-2024 era.

Pujara stands at the top with a 94.4% success rate, having won 17 of 18 home series; his only failure was the 2012/13 defeat to England. He is joined by Umesh Yadav (14/15), Ashwin (20/22), and Kohli (18/20), all surpassing the 90% mark. The only non-Indian to achieve this feat is the Glenn McGrath. McGrath was never involved in a home series defeat, winning 21 of his 23 series and drawing the remaining two. Jadeja has a success rate of 88.9% with 16 wins in 18 rubbers and has a chance to move up as he enters the sunset of his career.

Highest success rate in home series (15+ series involved)

The 65-Test streak: Ashwin's unbroken decade of home dominance comes to an end

The playing XI for India's home Test matches has consistently featured one name since his debut in 2011/12 season - Ravichandran Ashwin. The last time India began a home Test without Ashwin came in November 20, 2010