The Asia Cup is yet to return home, but India have already shifted their focus to the start of a home Test season, as the West Indies arrive for a two-match series beginning on 2 October in Ahmedabad. For the first time in more than a decade, India will take the field in home conditions without their stalwarts – Virat Kohli, R. Ashwin and Rohit Sharma – each of whom played an integral role in India’s dominance at home until a visiting New Zealand side breached the fortress last year.
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Travelling to India for Tests is (was) one of the toughest assignments in sport. During the Kohli era, India were impenetrable at home. Since losing a series to England in 2012/13, they went unbeaten in 18 consecutive series, dropping just four matches in that period.
Many had begun to take India’s supremacy for granted. Yes, they often prepared spin-friendly tracks, outbowling opposition batters who lacked the tools to cope with the conditions. But the enormity of the achievement was truly recognised only when the unbeaten run ended last year, as New Zealand blanked India 3–0.
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