Rohit Sharma Sets Unwanted Record as India Suffer First-Ever Home Series Whitewash

India captain Rohit Sharma faced a historic setback as his team was defeated 3-0 by New Zealand in a Test series at home. This marked the first time an Indian captain lost all three matches in a home series, making Rohit the first in India’s cricket history to endure a whitewash at home in a three-match Test series. Adding to the record, he became the first Indian captain since 1969 to lose four Test matches on home soil within a calendar year.

The last time India suffered such losses at home was in 1969 under the leadership of MAK Pataudi, when India lost to New Zealand once and Australia three times. Rohit’s tough campaign in 2024 began with a defeat to England in Hyderabad. Despite a subsequent string of six wins, India’s form declined sharply as they fell to three consecutive losses against New Zealand in Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai, ultimately ending their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final.

In the series, Rohit’s performance with the bat was underwhelming, scoring only 91 runs at a strike rate of 68.42 over the three matches. Tom Latham's New Zealand team, meanwhile, created history by becoming the first team to win a Test series in India by a 3-0 margin.

Rohit has now captained India in 21 Test matches, winning 12 and losing seven. This recent series defeat has raised questions about India’s preparation and approach in the longest format, particularly against spin-friendly teams like New Zealand.