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 against New Zealand in Nagpur. To put the duration of this streak into perspective, only a handful of players who were active then - Brendan Taylor, Mushfiqur Rahim, Kemar Roach, Steven Smith, and Kane Williamson - are still active in Test cricket today.

Ashwin has appeared in 65 consecutive home Tests, a remarkable run that places him among only five players in Test history to have played 50 or more home Tests without missing a single one in their entire career. Only England's Alastair Cook (89 Tests) has a longer sequence globally, while the next longest streaks for an Indian player are the 48-Test runs held by Gundappa Vishwanath and Syed Kirmani.

Most consecutive home Tests having not missed any in career

Ashwin's streak is a testament to his durability and vital importance to the side. Only four players in history have appeared in a longer sequence of consecutive home Tests than his 65, and only Alastair Cook (89) has sustained such a run from his Test debut onward. This exclusive club of players who have featured in 50 or more successive home Tests since debut includes just six other names: Andrew Strauss (61), Ian Healy (59), AB de Villiers (58), Adam Gilchrist (55), and Alan Knott (50). Crucially, Ashwin stands alone among them as the only specialist bowler or bowling all-rounder, underscoring his extraordinary fitness and indispensable role in India's home success.

Appearing in most consecutive home Tests

Ashwin's contribution to India's home success across 65 Tests is historic. Of the 22 home rubbers he featured in, Ashwin was awarded Player of the Series in as many as nine of them - the most ever for a player, further underlining his dominance. He amassed 1,989 runs, including four centuries, and claimed a stunning 383 wickets with 29 five-wicket hauls. His combined output accounts for a massive proportion of the team's totals: 32.1% of all Indian wickets and 5.7% of all runs.

Looking at the 316 players who have played at least 25 home Tests, Ashwin ranks in the top six for total match contribution. Only five players worldwide contributed a higher percentage of their team's runs and wickets, with Muttiah Muralitharan leading the charts at an astonishing 43.1%. Furthermore, only the all-rounder Richard Hadlee betters Ashwin's contribution in both runs and wickets percentage. Among Ashwin's peers, Jadeja comes next closest with 34.2%, having scored 7.7% of runs and bagged 26.5% of wickets.

Players with highest share of runs & wickets in home Tests (25+ matches)

The challenge for the new look squad is immense, but talent has never been scarce in India. If the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar series is any indication, India already have their succession planning in motion. Shubman Gill has shown he is well capable of carrying on India's rich legacy with the bat, while in Yashasvi Jaiswal, India have a precocious talent at the top of the order. Washington Sundar has shown capabilities to fill Ashwin's shoes on helpful tracks at home last season but will have bigger challenges ahead of him as his career progresses.

The new era for the Indian Test team, beginning this Thursday against the West Indies, could not have asked for a softer landing against an opposition that hasn't beaten them for 23 years. The task is now for these emerging players to swiftly establish themselves, capitalize on the gentle start, and replicate the consistency and supremacy that defined India's golden decade, with fans eagerly hoping this series marks the start of something special.