The HOME factor

(Note: This article was written a day after the England series got over. The facts might not be up-to-date) 

Let's me talk about the HOME factor. I have been following the team for sometime now and I just do not understand how does India look a completely different side at home and an another outfit when they go abroad. They are mostly the same men, but their body language is strikingly different when they go to some other country. I cannot understand stats, so I will not refer to them. The whole setup seems so different. Not only the recent England tour, but also, if you take a look at the tour of West Indies too you would know what I mean. We did struggle, even if a little, but we did.

The change is obtrusive enough to catch anybody's eye. The facial expressions of the men change, their attitude change and most of all the winning spirit gets blurred. I am sure other sides face something similar too, but with India it is more noticeable. If you look closely, that is precisely the reason why the selectors avoid testing new talents abroad.

The reasons for change may be many, but the most obvious one would be the change in pitches, In India, we have pitches that assist the spinners while in abroad they are more pace-friendly. England played the chin-music a little too loud for our liking and now, with the likes of Ashwin and Jadeja in prime form, the tables have 'turned'.

The home factor has worked for us most of the times in the past decade but we cannot bank upon it always. If there has to be a change in the lion-cat syndrome of the team (Lions at home, cats abroad), it has to be here and now