4 times India whitewashed their opponents at home

A professional and talented Indian team totally outplayed South Africa in the three-match Test series recently played at home, blanking the Proteas 3-0. While India won the first match at Visakhapatnam by 203 runs, they were victorious at Pune by an innings and 137 runs, and then in the final Test at Ranchi by an innings and 202 runs.

Rohit Sharma was the standout performer for India with 529 runs while Mayank Agarwal totalled 340 runs. For South Africa, opener Dean Elgar was the top run-getter with 232 runs, 160 of those coming in one innings.

Indians dominated the bowling charts as well, with Ravichandran Ashwin claiming 15 wickets while Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with 13 each. Umesh Yadav also made a fine comeback, picking up 12 scalps in two Tests as India registered a record 11th consecutive Test series win at home.

For South Africa, Kagiso Rabada’s seven wickets was the best effort among their bowlers.

Despite India’s dominance at home, whitewashing opponents remains a rare feat. We look at four occasions India won all Tests at home, in a series of 3 for more matches.

3-0 vs England (1992-93)

3rd Test: India v England (1992-93)

Everything that could go possibly wrong for England during their tour of India in 1992-93, did go wrong. David Gower, the visitors’ best player of spin, was left out of the squad under controversial circumstances. The players complained of food, and alleged that they were suffering from food poising.

England were just not there mentally and it was exemplified in the results, as Graham Gooch and co were clueless on the field.

Skipper Mohammad Azharuddin led from the front with 182 at his favourite venue, Eden Gardens in Kolkata, as India went 1-0 up with an eight-wicket victory. After India posted 371 batting first, India’s spin trio of Anil Kumble, Venkatapathy Raju and Rajesh Chauhan ran through the England lineup, cleaning them up for 163 and 286 (following on).

Sachin Tendulkar (165) and Navjot Singh Sidhu (106) led the assault on the England attack in the second Test at Chennai, as India won by an innings and 22 runs. India posted 560 for 6 declared, and then bowled England out for 286 and 252 (again following on). Kumble finished with eight wickets in the match, including six in the second.

It was homeboy Vinod Kambli’s turn to shine in the final Test at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. After England posted 347 batting first thanks to Graeme Hick’s 178, Kambli smashed his way to 224 from 411 balls. He was severe on spinners John Emburey and Phil Tufnell as India put up 591.

Kumble’s second-innings four-for bowled India to victory by an innings and 15 runs.

Also see – World Test Championship Schedule

3-0 vs Sri Lanka 1993-94

Navjot Singh Sidhu

Not longer after embarrassing England 3-0, India blanked Sri Lanka by the same margin. In the first Test at Lucknow, Navjot Singh Sidhu smashed 124 with eight sixes to create a new Indian record for most sixes by an Indian in a Test, which was recently broken by Sharma. Tendulkar also blazed away to 142 as India put up 511.

Kumble then ran through the Lankans with 11 wickets (four in the first and seven in the second, following on), as India went 1-0 up with an innings and 119 run-triumph.

The second Test at Bengaluru saw Azhar hitting 108, Sidhu 99 and Tendulkar 96 as India amassed 541 for 6 declared. Sri Lanka were all out for 231 in reply as Manoj Prabhakar picked up 4 for 82.

Made to follow on, the visitors were cleaned up for 215 in the second innings despite Hashan Tillakaratne’s 80. Kumble was India’s best bowler with 3 for 64 as India won by an innings and 95 runs.

Kapil Dev

India completed the rout with an innings and 17 run-victory at Ahmedabad. The match saw Kapil Dev claiming his world record 432nd wicket by dismissing Tillakaratne. However, it was Raju who was the star of the match with 11 scalps. His 5 for 38 saw Sri Lanka folding up for 119, batting first.

After India responded with 358 thanks to Azhar’s 152, Raju’s 6 for 87 rolled over the visitors for 222.

3-0 vs New Zealand (2016-17)

Ravindra Jadeja

Jadeja was the star of India’s 197-run win in the first Test of the series at Kanpur. He made 42 not out and 50 not out with the bat, and claimed a five-for in New Zealand’s first innings.

After India managed only 318 batting first, Jadeja and Ashwin (4 for 93) combined to restrict New Zealand to 262. 70s from Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara and an unbeaten 68 from Sharma saw India set the Kiwis a target of 434. Ashwin’s six-for held them to 236.

Wriddhiman Saha was the man of the match at Kolkata for his twin fifties - 54 not out and 58 not out. Pujara (87) and Ajinkya Rahane (77) took India to 316 batting first. New Zealand, in response, folded for 204 as Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up 5 for 48.

Rohit Sharma’s second-innings 82 enabled India to set a target of 376. The Kiwis managed only 197 as Shami, Ashwin and Jadeja claimed three apiece.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

India wrapped up the series with an impressive 321-run triumph at Indore. Virat Kohli’s 211 and Ajinkya Rahane’s 188 saw India post a massive 557 for 5 declared batting first. Ashwin’s 6 for 81 restricted the Kiwis to 299 in response.

Pujara’s second-innings hundred left New Zealand with 475 to chase for a victory. Ashwin ran through the hapless visitors with 7 for 59 as the Kiwis crumbled to 153 all out.

4-0 vs Australia (2012-13)

MS Dhoni

India’s most famous whitewash at home was led by MS Dhoni in 2012-13. The skipper himself shone in the first Test at Chennai with a blistering 224 from 265 balls, as India responded to Australia’s 380 with 572.

Ashwin, who claimed seven wickets in the first innings, added five more in the second, as Australia were bowled out for 241. India won the Test by eight wickets.

Pujara’s 204 and Vijay’s 167 led India to an emphatic innings and 135-run victory at Hyderabad. After the Aussies managed only 237 batting first despite skipper Michael Clarke’s 91, India responded with 503. Ashwin’s 5 for 63 then restricted Australia to 131 as India went 2-0 up.

Shikhar Dhawan

Mohali saw Shikhar Dhawan making an incredible Test debut with 187 from 174 balls. Thanks to 90s from Mitchell Starc (99) and Steve Smith (92), Australia made a credible 408 batting first. However, Dhawan and Vijay (153) added 289 for the opening wicket as India replied with 499.

Under pressure from the relentless Indian bowling, the Aussies folded for 223 in the second innings, and India registered a six-wicket victory.

India completed their annihilation of Australia at Delhi, again winning by six wickets. Ashwin’s five-for kept Australia to 262 batting first. But Nathan Lyon’s 7 for 94 meant India managed only 272 in response.

Jadeja, however, brought India back in the game, picking 5 for 58 as Australia were all out for 164. Pujara’s unbeaten 82 enabled India to gun down the target of 155 with ease, and blank Australia 4-0.