As debate over pitch rages, let's revisit Rohit Sharma's iconic remark on 'home advantage'

Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket captain, made a statement back in the day about the advantage of playing in home conditions. This statement still holds true today, as familiarity with the pitches, weather, and crowd support can give a significant boost to a team's performance. Let's revisit Rohit's iconic remark on home advantage as the debate over pitch takes centre stage ahead of the four-match Test series between India and Australia. 

Australian cricketers and former players have commented on the Indian pitches and even called it 'unfair'. R Ashwin has also replied to these statements, calling it mind games by Australia. 

In cricket, the conditions in which a match is played can greatly affect the outcome. For example, the pitches in India tend to favor spin bowlers, and the high humidity can make it difficult for the visiting batsmen to play their shots freely. Similarly, playing in foreign conditions, with different pitches and weather, can pose a significant challenge to the Indian cricket team.

Rohit's statement emphasized that home advantage is a part of the game, and every team tries to make the most of it. He stressed the importance of playing to one's team's strengths, as it is the essence of home advantage. However, Rohit also acknowledged that playing in challenging conditions is an opportunity to grow as a player. He pointed out that mental preparation is crucial in these situations, and it's essential to be prepared to face and learn from failures.

“I’ve never understood why it’s debated so much. People keep talking about it, but the fact is this is how pitches in India have been for a long time. I don’t think anything should change. Everyone makes use of home advantage. When we go outside, no one thinks about us - so why should we think of others?," Rohit had said during a press conference in 2021. 

“We need to go with our team’s preference. That’s the meaning of home advantage. Else, just take it away. The ICC should come up with a uniform rule everywhere for pitches. When we go abroad, people make our life difficult. I don’t think pitches should be debated at all. Debates can be held on players, their performances, [and] how they are batting or bowling, but don’t debate pitches. Both teams play on the same pitch and whoever plays better wins," he added. 

India vs Australia Tests

The four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy (Test series) between India and Australia is scheduled to begin on February 9. The first match will be played in Nagpur, followed by Delhi, Dharamsala, and Ahmedabad. 

India’s Test squad for the first two Tests against Australia: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav.

Image: cricket.com.au