India have failed to continue their home domination in Test cricket.
The reigning champions, India, have dominated the T20Is since winning their second title of the format in June 2024. Ahead of hosting the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the Men in Blue are also carrying on their clinical run, winning all of their last eight series, including an unbeaten run in the subcontinental tournament, the Asia Cup 2025.
But the team’s performance in Test cricket has been in complete contrast to that of the T20Is.
The former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid emphasised how the hectic schedule and a noteworthy increase of the various global T20 leagues have affected the players’ preparation for arguably the toughest format of the game.
“To play on turning tracks or seaming wickets for hours in a Test match is not easy. It requires skill. In my generation, when there were only two formats and no franchise cricket, there were many times where I would have a whole month of practicing for a Test series, playing with the red ball to develop my skills,” he stated during an event in Bengaluru.
Moreover, the players are continuously switching to different formats, which makes it harder to adapt to the testing conditions of the red-ball matches. While India have recorded significant success in the limited-over formats, they have failed to continue their home domination in Tests in recent times.
“Now, one of the things that has become tougher in red-ball cricket is that many of our guys who play all three formats, or play the sheer amount of cricket they are playing, sometimes don’t have the time to practice red-ball cricket as much. That’s become a real challenge, how do you find the time to develop those difficult skills?” noted the former batter.
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The recent decline in performance in red-ball cricket has garnered plenty of criticism from the fans, as India have succumbed to two embarassing Test series defeats at home within a year. Previously, New Zealand had ended India’s glorious 12-year-long winning streak in Test matches on home soil with a 3-0 clean sweep in November 2024.
The World Test Championship winners, South Africa, also replicated a similar show, claiming a 2-0 whitewash over the two-time WTC finalists in November 2025. Despite putting up a commendable effort to draw the hard-fought five-Test series in England and a comprehensive victory while hosting the West Indies, Shubman Gill and Co. could not battle out the challenges facing the Proteas.
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