When England arrived in India, they were expected to challenge India's unbeaten run at home in Test cricket. With all due respect, they did stretch the hosts to the hilt winning the first Test in Hyderabad and always competed in the next three Test matches. But India kept winning crunch moments to register three wins on the trot to seal the series. Moreover, the win in fourth Test in Ranchi was even more special as India had to bat last after losing the toss and they chased down a 150+ score at home for the first time since 2013.
The five-wicket win in Ranchi also stretched India's unbeaten series winning streak at home to 17. They went past Pakistan in this aspect who had remained unbeaten for 16 consecutive Test series at home from March 1982 to November 1994. As for India, they have now won 17 consecutive Test series at home, the streak that started in February 2013 and is still going on.
Australia are on top of this list having won a mammoth 28 consecutive Test series at home and it will take some effort for India to even get close to this record. The Aussies had remained unbeaten at home in the longest format of the game from November 1993 to November 2008 before losing to South Africa. Interestingly, India feature in this list two more times having won 14 consecutive series at home from 1987 to 1999 and then again from 2004 to 2012.
Most consecutive unbeaten streaks in home Test series
| Team |
Series |
Time Span |
| Australia |
28 |
November 1993 to November 2008 |
| India |
17 |
February 2013 to (still going on) |
| Pakistan |
16 |
March 1982 to November 1994 |
| West Indies |
16 |
February 1974 to April 1994 |
| India |
14 |
November 1987 to October 1999 |
| India |
14 |
November 2004 to August 2012 |
Having said that, the record would've been in danger in case Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill hadn't forged the unbeaten 72-run partnership in the second innings. India had chased a 150+ target only once successfully in last 10 years before Ranchi Test. After a solid opening stand of 84 runs, they had lost five wickets for 36 runs and one more wicket would've exposed the tail as well. But Jurel showed brilliant composure in testing conditions and along with Gill, made sure to help India seal the series with one match to go.
