But for the last phase of the final Test where they crumbled in a heap, the Australians kept it neck-to-neck versus India in India and that surprised many of the detractors who had predicted a 0-4 whitewash ahead of the series. In line with the mass expectations though, the Indians did clinch the series and that was only fair because in their own backyard, the Indians are a handful and in many ways represent the last frontier for the white man in their whites.
Things might have been different had their ace opener David Warner been anywhere close to being his usual self. He wasn’t there by a long distance and that clearly blunted the Australian edge. Home advantage is not an uncommon phenomenon in cricket, but the extent of its influence varies from team to team and from man to man. Just a quick look at his statistics is enough to warrant a slot for Warner under the Home Bully category.
Having played 64 Tests, Warner has scored 3,257 of his overall tally of 5,454 runs at home in 33 Tests, while only 2,197 runs have come in his 31 Tests away from home. A little more pertinent, perhaps, is the fact that 14 of his 18 centuries have come at home. His batting average at home is 59.21 runs per innings as against 36.61 abroad. In the series against India, he scored at an average of 24.12, with just one score past the 50 mark. And, his rate of scoring per hundred balls was 16 runs below his career strike rate. He clearly struggled and brought the side down with him despite everything that Steven Smith did in his continuing saga of heroics around the world.
In their respective domains and styles, Warner and Ashwin once again underlined their status as masters in their own backyards
Ironically, Warner struggled the most against another home bully. Ravichandran Ashwin claimed his scalp thrice in his first four innings and implanted such demons in Warner’s minds that he never got going beyond surviving against Ashwin in the rest of the series.
The series brought to an end a long, grueling season for the Indians during which they played 17 Tests in about eight months. Ashwin claimed a remarkable tally of 99 wickets during this time, taking his career total to 275. During the season he played four Tests in the West Indies, and the rest in India. As many as 82 wickets came at home in 13 Tests; 83 per cent at 6.3 wickets per Test. The outing in West Indies gave him 17pc of wickets in the season at 4.17 per Test. If one throws in the quality of opposition in the equation, his wickets against England, New Zealand, Australia and even Bangladesh were better than the ones in West Indies. And the reason for that is way too obvious to merit a discussion here.
Of his 275 wickets, 76pc or 208 have come at home at 22.8 runs per wicket. The other 67 wickets have come away from home at 33.2 per wicket. Adding a bit more to his home bully status is the simple fact that 20 of his 25 five-wicket hauls in an innings have come at home. The good thing for him is India’s financial muscle in world cricket that ensures more outings within his comfort zone than out of it. He has played 32 of his 49 Tests or 65pc of them on Indian soil. At this rate, he will be right up there with the best in career statistics without being thoroughly tested. All he has to do is to keep himself fit and the rest will just happen.
"Home advantage is not an uncommon phenomenon in cricket, but the extent of its influence varies from team to team and from man to man
This brings to mind one bloke from the past who had a big reputation for being a home-ground bully because of the deadly effect he had on wet English pitches. Derek Leslie Underwood was so deadly that it became his nickname. A left-arm orthodox bowler he used to vary his pace from the usual spin to almost medium-pace. But his accuracy was his biggest weapon and he loved to exploit the wet patches on the surface. When the rules changed and forced covered pitches, accuracy and change of pace held him in good stead both at home and abroad.
Of his 86 Tests, he played 42 at home, almost half. Interestingly, an equal percentage or 145 of his 297 wickets also came at home. In his 44 Tests abroad, he claimed 152 wickets, meaning 51pc of his wickets came in 51pc of his outings. It couldn’t have been more even than that. His career average was 25.83 runs per wicket, and his home and away averages didn’t vary much; 24.24 and 27.36 respectively. Of his 17 five-wicket hauls, 10 came at home. Despite his reputation of being a home bully, Underwood, to his eternal credit, was just as deadly playing outside his comfort zone.
Looking around the cricketing world, it is hard not to note that in the modern era, India is the side featuring more home-ground bullies than most other international outfits. Ravindra Jadeja is the latest name on the block. Of his 30 Tests, he has played 22 at home.And, of his 142 wickets, 121 have come his way on Indian surfaces.
Interesting, isn’t it?
Published in Dawn, EOS, April 9th, 2017
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