Another Test series, another comprehensive win. South Africa came to India with hopes of causing an upset but, like many other teams, left battered, bruised and broken.
An innings and 202-run victory at Ranchi completed a 3-0 whitewash for Virat Kohli’s men, keeping them firmly placed at the top of the ICC rankings.
A result like this was expected, not just because this is one of, if not the, weakest South African sides to tour the subcontinent in many years, but also because of India’s phenomenal power at home. They have only lost one Test series at home since 2005 (vs England in 2012) and since the start of 2013, their home form reads: P33, W27, L1, D5. It is a phenomenal record that raises the question: is winning a Test series in India the toughest challenge in cricket?
India have a tried and tested method when it comes to winning at home. The first part of their strategy comes before the first ball is even bowled – the toss. Given the fact it is simply the flick of a coin, a certain reliance of winning the toss becomes a risky one. However, at the moment, it is working, with India winning six of the last seven tosses at home. Their preference thereafter has been to bat first, when the pitch is at its best for batting. It’s not just they who have this preference, either – only in three of the last 32 Tests in India has a team who has won the toss chosen to bowl first.
And that is perhaps what sets India apart – they consistently get more out of conditions than their opponents through methods that have been reliable over a number of years. Visiting sides often feel like they are in the game but are eventually overwhelmed by India’s ruthless execution when going for the kill.
Despite winning in Australia last winter, doubts remain over India’s ability to be a force away from home, but there is no doubt that they have made home territory such a fortress that winning there is the greatest challenge in Test cricket.
