India's astronomical Test dominance at home continues with 17th consecutive series win

England gave India a bit of a scare by reducing them to 120/5, still requiring 72 with half the squad back in the shed on Day 4 of the fourth Test in Ranchi, but youngsters Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel held their nerve and helped the hosts register a five-wicket victory to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match Test series.

India started Day 4 at 40/0 in just 8 overs, requiring another 152 runs to win. The tourists fought tooth and nail and had Rohit Sharma and Co. in a spot of bother at one point in time. However, Shubman (52*) and Jurel (39*) added 72 for the sixth wicket to take their team home.

This is India's 17th consecutive Test series win at home. Their last series defeat in their backyard came in 2012 when Alastair Cook's men won a four-match series 2-1. The England captain stood out with the bat as he finished as the leading run-getter in the series with 562 runs from eight innings at an average of 80.28. Also, England's spin-bowling duo of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar out-bowled their then-relatively inexperienced Indian counterparts to help their team dictate terms through most phases of the series. India have lost just four Tests at home since this series defeat.

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Ahead of the ongoing five-match Test series, many fans and experts reckoned that England would pose the stiffest challenge as compared to any other visiting team since 2012 to India's incredible winning streak at home. The Three Lions gave a great account of themselves when they won the first Test in Hyderabad after overturning a 190-run deficit. They also gave India a good run for their money in the second Test but couldn't avoid a defeat, ultimately going down by 106 runs. It will be safe to say that the hosts were rattled by England's Bazball ploy in the first two games but the third Test was a one-sided affair as the Asian giants won by a monumental 434 runs.

In the fourth Test, England took a 46-run lead in the first innings but a dismal batting effort in the second innings didn't allow them to capitalise on their initial advantage. With the loss in Ranchi, England have suffered their first series defeat since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes became coach and captain, respectively, in 2022.

The fifth Test starts on Thursday, March 7, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Meanwhile, England will have an opportunity to become the first side in 12 years to win two Test matches in a series in India.

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