India vs SL: Rohit Sharma’s side set new RECORD of 15 successive series wins at home

Team India thrashed Sri Lanka by 238 runs in the Pink Ball Test in Bengaluru at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday (March 14) to complete yet another series whitewash. Skipper Rohit Sharma led India to their 15th consecutive series victory at home since losing to England in December 2012.

India are the only side in the world to have achieved this feat, the second best being 10 consecutive series victories — far behind than India’s tally of 15.

India's 15th consecutive series victory at home since losing the series to England in Dec 2012.
No other home side has won more than 10 consecutive home series. #IndvSL #IndvsSL#DaynightTestmatch#PinkballTest — Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) March 14, 2022

Team India maintained a win percentage of 93.7 across formats in the 2021-22 home season. Only one team had a better win percentage in an International home season (minimum 15 matches). Australia had a 100 per cent win record in the 2000-01 home season, winning all 15 matches they played.

The 16 matches played by India are also the second most played by a team in a home season which they ended unbeaten. Australia played 19 games in the 2009-10 home season, of which they won 17.

With the tourists chasing a daunting target of 447 for victory after India declared on 303/9, their skipper Dimuth Karunaratne battled hard to bring up his 14th Test ton (107) but wickets fell regularly and they were bowled out for 208.

India won the first Test in Mohali by an innings and 222 runs inside three days and Rohit Sharma’s side repeated the feat in Bengaluru when Sri Lanka were bowled out in the second session.

“It’s been a good run and I’ve enjoyed it personally and as a team. We wanted to achieve a few things as a team and we`ve done that,” Rohit said. “Pink ball Tests are challenging. We never knew what it was like to play with the pink ball in India, but we are learning to make those adjustments. The crowd just makes it more special.”

Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis had chipped away in the first session and together the pair survived a couple of edges to bring up Sri Lanka’s highest partnership of the series (97) while Mendis also brought up his half-century.

(with Reuters inputs)