India will play its first home Test match since the retirement of R. Ashwin when it faces West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 2.
Remarkably, the Ahmedabad Test will be the first time India line up for a home Test match without the Tamil Nadu all-rounder since his debut. This spans a run of 65 matches, with the last match India played at home without him coming in 2010.
When was the last time India played a home Test without R. Ashwin?
The last Test India played at home without Ashwin was the third one of India’s series against New Zealand in Nagpur in November 2010. The match proved to be a straightforward one for India as it eased to victory by an innings and 198 runs to seal the series 1-0.
The Indian spin contingent in that match was Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha, who were complemented by pacers S Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma.
The visitors won the toss and opted to bat first, but the seamers struck early to reduce them to 51/5. Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum provided some resistance, but India bowled New Zealand out for a mere 193.
India piled on the runs in response. Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag scored half-centuries at the top of the order, before Rahul Dravid compiled an epic 191. MS Dhoni scored 98 along with the lower order before India declared on 566/8.
The Indian spinners ran through the opposition in the final innings, with Ojha, Harbhajan, and Suresh Raina accounting for seven wickets between them as New Zealand was bowled out for 175, sealing India’s win.
Published on Oct 01, 2025
