Can India Regain Their Batting Dominance at Home?

For years, conquering India on their home turf has been regarded as one of the greatest challenges in men’s Test cricket. The numbers validate this belief: since 2013, India boasts an impressive 40-4 win-loss record at home, a record only second to Australia’s 41-7. 

India’s Era

During much of this era, India exhibited extraordinary control with both bat and ball. Between 2013 and 2020, when their home win-loss record stood at a staggering 28-1, India’s batters averaged 44.05 runs per wicket, while their bowlers allowed just 23.30 runs per dismissal. These figures were the highest among all Test-playing nations on home soil. The only time India's batting average dipped below 40 in a calendar year was in 2015, during a four-Test series against South Africa on challenging pitches, where they managed an average of just 25.27.

However, since 2021, there has been a noticeable shift in these trends. In the 17 home Tests over the last four years, India’s batting average has fallen to 33.40, a significant drop from the 48 they maintained between 2016 and 2019. As a result, India’s ranking in batting averages slipped from first to fifth. On the bowling side, India’s bowlers have held strong, maintaining an average of 21.29 runs per wicket, second only to South Africa’s 18.84. India’s 12-3 win-loss record during this time points to a team that remains dominant, but is no longer as overwhelming as they were in the previous decade.

Form Decline

The decline in both batting and bowling averages indicates that conditions for batters in India have become more challenging overall. But how much tougher have things become? A comparison of the top-seven batters from the periods 2016-20 and 2021 onwards sheds light on the situation. For all teams playing in India during these periods, the overall batting average has plummeted from 39.18 to 31.65. While India led all nations with the highest home batting average from 2016 to 2020, they have since dropped to seventh among nine countries that have hosted at least 10 Tests.

This decline is largely attributable to India’s own batters. While overseas players have traditionally struggled with Indian pitches and the SG ball, their average has only marginally decreased from 28.51 to 26.12. For India’s top seven batters, however, the fall has been far steeper, going from 54.43 to 38.30. 

It’s also important to note that not all teams have toured India since 2021. India has faced England twice, but the other series have been against Australia, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand. Between 2016 and 2020, a wider range of teams—including New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Afghanistan—played in India. Despite this variance, the drop in overseas batters' averages has been modest, while India’s home averages have dropped by nearly 30%, falling from first to sixth in this regard.

In the last four years, although India has continued winning, their batters have failed to capitalise on home advantage like they once did. Their top seven batters have averaged 38.3 at home and 34.78 abroad, leaving a small difference of just 3.52 runs. Only two other teams—West Indies and Bangladesh—have smaller differences. In comparison, between 2016 and 2020, India’s batters averaged 54.43 at home, with a stark 19.53-run gap compared to their overseas performance. This drop is partially due to a dip in form among key players in India’s middle order.

Virat Kohli, who had averaged 86.17 with 10 centuries across 22 home Tests from 2016 to 2020, has seen his average drop to 34.47, with only one century in 11 matches since 2021. Similarly, Cheteshwar Pujara’s average has fallen from 56.85 to 24.53, a massive 57% decline. Even Rohit Sharma, despite four centuries in 15 Tests, has averaged just under 45 compared to his 101.1 average during the 2016-20 period. The only standout performer in recent years has been Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has smashed two double-hundreds in his first five home Tests, while Shubman Gill has also shown promise with three centuries and a 50-plus average in his last seven home matches.

Reasons Behind

A key reason for India’s declining batting numbers is a significant drop in performance against spin bowling. Between 2016 and 2020, India’s top seven batters averaged 63.36 against spin, but since 2021, that figure has dropped by 41% to 37.56. Opposition spinners, who once accounted for half of India’s top-seven wickets, now take 75% of them. The decline in averages is particularly evident for Kohli and Pujara. Kohli scored 1342 runs against spinners between 2016 and 2020, but since then has managed only 454 runs for 15 dismissals. Similarly, Pujara’s runs against spin have dropped from 1128 to just 277 during the same timeframe.

Interestingly, Indian all-rounders Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja have performed better against spin than many of the specialist batters. Meanwhile, overseas spinners have improved their performance in India as well. Between 2016 and 2020, most spinners who took wickets in India conceded more than 48 runs per dismissal. Since 2021, spinners have averaged 35.50 against India, a vast improvement from the previous average of 49.86. 

Despite these challenges, there is reason for optimism. In a recent series against England, Jaiswal hit two double-hundreds and averaged 89, while Gill amassed over 450 runs with a 56-plus average. If Virat Kohli finds his form again, alongside the strong contributions of Rohit, Jaiswal, and Gill, India’s home batting dominance could very well make a comeback.

With five home Tests on the horizon, the team will be eager for its batters to deliver stronger performances and regain the edge that once made them nearly unbeatable on home soil.