South Africa stunned India by 30 runs at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the first Test of the two-match series. The Proteas thus registered their first Test win in India in 15 years. For the hosts, it was their fourth loss at home in the last six Tests. They suffered an unexpected 3-0 drubbing against New Zealand last year. South Africa won the toss and batted first on a rank turner in Kolkata. They were all-out for 159 in 55 overs. However, the Proteas fought back admirably to restrict India to 189. In the second innings, Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma scored a valiant 55* as the visitors set India a target of 124. Off spinner Simon Harmer claimed then claimed his second four-fer of the game as India were all-out for 93. Following another Test loss for India at home, questions are being asked about whether their home dominance is now a thing of the past. In the feature, we undertake a statistical analysis of India’s Test performance at home since the start of the 1990s. 1990-1999 (17 W, 5 L, 8 D) Between 1990 and 1999, India played 30 Tests at home, winning 17 and losing five, while eight matches ended in a draw. India registered a win percentage of 56. 66 in the 1990s. They thumped England 3-0 in 1992-93 and Sri Lanka by the same margin in 1993-94. The hosts also registered 2-1 wins over South Africa in 1996-97 and Australia in 1997-98. Mohammed Azharuddin led India in 20 Tests in the 1990s, winning 13 and losing four, while three matches ended in a draw. Sachin Tendulkar led India in 10 Tests out of which the team won four and lost one while five games ended in a draw. 2000-2009 (21 W, 8 L, 18 D) Between 2000 and 2009, India played 47 Test matches at home, winning 21 matches and losing eight, while 18 matches ended in a draw. India had a win percentage of 44. 68 during this period. During this phase, India suffered a 2-0 loss against South Africa in February-March 2000. However, they recovered in incredible fashion to win the iconic 2001 series against Australia 2-1. Sourav Ganguly led India in 21 Tests, winning 10 and losing three, while eight matches ended in a draw. Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni captained India in eight Tests each, winning six and three matches respectively. Anil Kumble led India in seven Tests, winning one and losing one, while the others were drawn. Tendulkar lost both the Tests he led in, while Virender Sehwag won one out of one. 2010-2019 (37 W, 4 L, 9 D) Between 2010 and 2019, India had a highly impressive run in home Tests. They played exactly 50 matches, winning 37 and losing just four, while nine matches ended in a draw. India had an excellent win percentage of 74 during this period. They did suffer a 2-1 loss against Alastair Cook-led England in 2012, but only lost two other Tests. The highlight of this phase was a 4-0 drubbing of Aussies in 2013. (India’s Test stats at home starting 1990) The leadership of Virat Kohli underlined India’s dominance in Tests at home during this decade. He led in 26 Tests, winning 20 and losing just one. Dhoni captained India in 22 home Tests, winning 15 and losing three, while four matches ended in a draw. Ajinkya Rahane also captained India in two Tests, winning both of them. 2020-Present (16 W, 7 L, 2 D) Since the start of 2020, India have played 25 Tests at home and have lost seven of them. They have won 16 games, while two Tests have ended in a draw. India have a win percentage of 64 during this phase, but they also have a loss percentage of 28. They beat England 3-1 in 2020-21 and 4-1 in 2023-24. They even registered a 2-1 win over Australia in 2022-23. However, the Kiwis stunned them 3-0 last year. Rohit Sharma has led India in 16 home Tests during this phase, winning 10 and losing five, while one Test ended in a draw. Kohli has led India in five matches, winning four of them. Shubman Gill has captained India in three Tests, winning two and losing one, while Rahane has led Team India in a drawn Test.
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