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Rohit has led India in nine home Tests so far in 2024 and suffered defeat in three of them, two of which are against New Zealand in the ongoing series.
Rohit Sharma becomes third Indian captain after Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Kapil Dev to lose three home Tests in a calendar year. (Picture Credit: Facebook/ICC and AP)
Indian men’s cricket team captain Rohit Sharma became part of an unwanted list of Saturday (October 26) after New Zealand beat India by 113 runs in the second Test of the ongoing three-match series played at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. In reply to the target of 359 runs, India could only manage to score 245 runs in 60.2 overs. The defeat in Pune was India’s second straight loss in the ongoing series and overall third defeat in nine Tests played in front of home fans in 2024.
Rohit led India in all three matches where it failed to get the better of the opposition at home, and as a result, he became the first Indian captain in 41 years to lose three home Tests in a calendar year. The last Indian captain to lose three Tests in India in a calendar year was Kapil Dev. Under his leadership, India lost three out of five Tests played against the West Indies in 1983.
The overall record of losing most Tests by an Indian captain at home in a calendar year is in the name of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Under Pataudi’s captaincy, India lost four home Tests in 1969 (three vs Australia and one vs New Zealand).
Indian captains to lose 3 or more home Tests in a calendar year
- Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi – 4 (1969)
- Kapil Dev – 3 (1983)
- Rohit Sharma – 3 (2024)
Rohit suffered his first Test defeat at home in 2024 against England during the first Test of the five-match series, which was played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad from January 25-28. In that match, the Ben Stokes-led side defeated India by 28 runs.
However, India managed to stage a stunning comeback in that series and went on to win the next four matches in Virat Kohli’s absence.
India came into the New Zealand series after winning six Tests in a row but suffered a shocking defeat by 8 wickets in the series opener played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from October 16 to 20. In that match, New Zealand dismissed India for its lowest Test score at home (46) in the first inning.
The defeat in the second Test not only led India to concede Test series, but it also brought an end to India’s unbeaten run of Test series at home since December 2012. In addition to that, Rohit also became the first Indian captain in history to lose two Tests and also Test series against New Zealand in India.
