No matter whether sport you are watching and following closely, there is always a home advantage. It can sometimes make or break a game for your favorite team. The reason is that home advantage consists of several things, one being that if you are playing at home, you know every in and out of your field and can take that to your advantage.
What Is a Home Advantage In Cricket?
The concept of home advantage in cricket is by no means new. It’s used in American sports leagues, for example, basketball and football. But, in cricket, it applies a little differently. An example is Australians, who on their home team have a lot of fans and whose wickets are way bouncier. India, on the other hand, has fields that allow for more spin-friendly pitches. But how does all this helps a home team to win? Well, it overlooks the factor of home-field advantage. For example, the home team has a much lower average run score per wicket than when they play on the opponent’s field. However, this can also bring problems like players needing to be more confident and performing as well as they should.
Rookies And Home Advantage
Rookies inexperienced in big leagues and tournaments can feel much more relaxed when playing on the home field. Every player suffers stress, and that can lead a player to be more injury prone. It’s normal for newer players to feel more confident and stress-free when playing on the home field because of fans cheering them and their knowledge of the area. If you have two teams with many young players, chances are that the team playing at home will have a significant advantage.
Home Pitch Advantage Affecting Forms
A few decades ago, home advantage was not affecting the game as much as it does today. Today we can see teams getting humiliated on away fields. The current trend is changing, so it may be more balanced games. Because of the enormous advantage playing on the home field brings, there is a change in cricket’s shorter formats and bilateral series. For example, English and Australian teams have decided to use bouncy pitches, and subcontinents are more comfortable with turning tracks. Because of this, tweakers and spinners are the norm in Asia, and fast bowlers are doing maximum damage on home pitches.
Role Of Fans
There was always a home advantage, but it gets even more critical if you have a large fanbase. In recent years, teams on the home field have won twice as many games. Having many fans can sometimes be deciding factor, as the cheers and boos can uplift home players and demoralize the opposing team’s players. So naturally, fans will want to get more engaged with the group they follow. That can be through social media, songs, and of course, going to matches. That all uplifts the players and the overall morale of the team. Remember that home advantage is good because the players know their field, but it’s only a significant advantage if they have an engaged community that follows the team.
Closing Thoughts
We hope we helped you understand what home advantage is. Now you can use this new knowledge to determine who is more likely to win in a match. But this is not a recommendation. No one and nothing can guarantee an outcome of the game.
