The jugular of a juggernaut

Hyderabad: Ravi Shastri once boldly proclaimed this India team as 'the best travelling side in the last 15 years'.

Although there’s some merit to the statement from the normally hyperbolic former Indian captain/ coach with the country having notched up two consecutive away series wins against Australia apart from triumphs in the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, critics are quick to point at the performances in England, South Africa and New Zealand where they’ve let slip of series-winning opportunities.

While Shastri’s claim will always be open for debate, one thing that’ll be hard to disagree is the greatness of this current Indian team at home since the start of the 2013 season against Australia.

Since losing 2-1 to England in 2012 at home, India have posted 16 successive series triumphs, losing a mere three Tests in 44 matches. Australia (2) and England (1) are the only teams who have managed to beat India in their own backyard in the last decade. In all, India have white-washed their opponents on seven occasions - not including the one-off Tests against Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

This level of domination, that too for a decade, is not something any team has been able to accomplish even at the peak of their powers. Not even Australia and West Indies who’ve played era-defining cricket.

In fact, Australia have managed to win a maximum of 10 straight series at home twice - first from 1994-95 to the 2000-01 era of Steve Waughs, Shane Warnes and Glenn McGraths and then during 2004-2008 era under the leadership of Ricky Ponting.

West Indies and New Zealand come close to Australia with eight successive home series triumphs. The Caribbeans were able to accomplish the feat during their most dominant time (1976-1986) while New Zealand achieved it recently between 2017-2020. South Africa’s best is seven straight triumphs, twice at that, and England have matched them once.

The main contributors to this Indian team’s iron-fisted rule are four protagonists: R Ashwin and his spinning partner in crime Ravindra Jadeja, former skipper Virat Kohli who oversaw most of this success with a brand of ruthless in-your-face captaincy rarely seen in Indian cricket and the obdurate Cheteshwar Pujara.

Yes, there have been others like current skipper Rohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami who have contributed generously but what Ashwin, Jadeja, Kohli and Pujara have done is remarkable.    

Ashwin, with his blend of natural skill, cricketing intelligence and an ever-burning fire to be the best, is an unplayable force at home. In 46 Tests from 2013 season onwards, he’s bagged 283 wickets with 21 fifers and five 10-wicket match hauls. An average of 19.63 against a career average of 23.69.

Jadeja, not the captivating type like Ashwin but more a workman-like hero, has 191 wickets in 39 Tests. When they operate together, Ashwin attacking full throttle and Jadeja tightening the noose with every passing over, it’s just a brutal test of a batter’s skills and perseverance. Add Ashwin and Jadeja’s batting, they just are irresistible. 

Kohli, leading from the front, has stacked up 3629 runs since the start of 2013 season at home, averaging a phenomenal 61.50. His attacking batting, especially at number four, has often set the template for India to push for victory.

Pujara, the rock around which others batters flourish, has 3109 runs from 44 games.

Here too critics may point to the fact that a percentage of those games were played on rank-tuners but literally every side in cricket tries hard to make the most of home advantage.

It’s swing and seam in England (changed now because of 'Bazball'), pace and bounce in Australia and spicy surfaces in South Africa. It’s just the nature of the sport and India can’t be fault for trying to maximise their advantage. They’ve just been exceptional at it. 

When the series starts against England in Hyderabad on Thursday, two of the men responsible will not be there. Kohli is sitting out of the first two Tests for personal reasons while Pujara has been axed to make way for the next generation.

In fact, the likes of Kohli, Rohit, Ashwin and Jadeja, all 35 years and above, will be handing over the reins to the future over the next few years. A transition will kick in at various stages but until then it’s time to celebrate, savour and cherish what Kohli, Ashwin and Jadeja have done. A bar they’ve raised so high, it’ll be hard for anyone to touch it, let alone raise it higher.