India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour has revealed the message to the Indian team after the loss to England in the first Test at Hyderabad, saying the hosts can expect visiting teams to win games in the country but their aim should be on playing good cricket.

India have not lost a single series at home since 2012 and have won 16 successive series in this period. They have lost only four Tests at home in this period, two of which have come in the space of the last year. After winning the first two Tests in 2023, India lost the third Test against Australia in Indore by nine wickets and ended the series with a draw in Ahmedabad. The loss in the first England Test this year takes their winless streak at home to three, making it the longest they have gone without a win since 2013.

Rathour, however, is not too concerned about the result, instead saying India are always expected to win at home but there will be instances when touring sides register wins as well. Drawing parallels with India’s recent overseas Test wins in Australia, England and South Africa Rathour said: “The other team also come well-prepared. Since we have won Test matches in Australia, England and South Africa, it is also expected for the other teams to come to India and also win some Test matches here.”

Since the start of 2018, India have won 10 Tests in SENA countries, which also includes two series wins in Australia. No other visiting team has registered more than five wins in the SENA in this period.

Rathour also added that the message to the players would be to bat with more discipline. A number of batters were dismissed while going for big hits in the first innings while they adopted a more defensive approach in the second. After taking a 190-run lead in the first essay, India failed to chase down England’s 231, losing by 28 runs, scoring 2.91 runs an over in the second innings. In contrast, they had batted at a run rate of 3.6 in the first innings.

“There’s a difference between playing with intent and playing attacking cricket, I want them to play with intent. If there is the opportunity to score some runs, they should take it,” Rathour said. “They need to decide by looking at the surface and conditions. So, the batters need to possess that intelligence as to which is the best or safest shot on the surface.

“Could they have batted with more discipline? Maybe they could have. That’s what they need to decide and come up with their plans. But, they need to score runs by playing their shots, as you need to back your strengths. Batting is always about scoring runs. It’s not about not getting out but how many runs you put on the board.”

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