India’s aura of invincibility at home has begun to show worrying cracks. Since 2020, the team has played 25 home Tests and still boasts a strong overall record — 16 wins, seven defeats and two draws, a respectable 64% win rate. But numbers in isolation hide the alarming trend that has gripped Indian cricket: rapid collapses on spin-friendly surfaces and a stunning rise in three-day defeats, a scenario once associated only with visiting sides.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The rot got exposed during the 0–3 debacle against New Zealand last year — India’s first clean sweep at home in a Test series of three or more matches and their first home whitewash since South Africa’s 2–0 triumph in 2000. While a 2–0 sweep of West Indies earlier this year briefly offered hope of a revival, the crushing loss to South Africa at Eden Gardens has dragged India back into a spiral.Despite winning seven of their eight home series since 2020, the defeats have been telling. Alarmingly, four of India’s seven losses at home in this period have come inside three days, highlighting the growing vulnerability of their batters against high-quality spin on rank turners — conditions they once dominated.
India’s overall home Test record since 2020
India’s win percentage remains high, but the recent slide is undeniable. Before the New Zealand series, this win percentage was significantly stronger.Three-day debacles at home (2020–2025)India’s four three-day defeats at home in this decade follow a similar pattern — batting collapses against opposition spinners who exploited surfaces India prepared for their own advantage.
Indore, 2023 – The warning shotIndia were blown away for 109 in the first innings as Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon ran riot. Lyon’s eight-for in the second innings sealed a nine-wicket win for Australia inside three days.Pune & Mumbai, 2024 – New Zealand humiliationA year later, Mitchell Santner delivered match figures of 13 wickets in Pune, handing India a 113-run defeat. A week later, Ajaz Patel (11 wickets) dismantled India again in Mumbai, helping New Zealand clinch the series 3–0 — their first sweep in India.Kolkata, 2025 – South Africa break the droughtAt Eden Gardens, India seemed in control after bowling South Africa out for 159. But their batters managed only a 30-run lead. Chasing 124, India folded for 93 as Simon Harmer (8 wickets) spun through the line-up. The loss gave South Africa their first Test win in India in 15 years.India’s three-day wins at home (2020–2025)India have not only lost rapidly — they have also won rapidly. Half of their home victories (8 of 16) have come inside three days, with one even finishing in two days.
A startling contrast
- 50% of India’s home Test wins since 2020 have come inside three days.
- 57% of their defeats at home have also come inside three days.
This reversal — the same conditions helping opponents as much as India — marks a shift in the balance of power on Indian pitches.
Why India are struggling
India’s traditional strength — batting against spin — has eroded sharply. Where previous generations thrived on turners, the current line-up has repeatedly succumbed to disciplined, patient spin bowling.The core issue is not pitch preparation, which historically benefited India, but the inability of the batters to build partnerships and grind out runs under pressure. Even home spinners have delivered match-winning figures, but the batting failures have negated those efforts.
Looking ahead: Guwahati offers a different challenge
After the Kolkata collapse, a rank turner is unlikely in the next Test at Guwahati, which hosts its first-ever Test on November 22.India’s limited-overs record at the venue is mixed:
With no historical Test data and a venue known for batting-friendly white-ball conditions, Guwahati could offer relief to India’s struggling batting unit.But whether the surface helps them reset — or exposes deeper flaws — will be the next big question.
