How To Make Home A Sweet Home

If you are able to find a way to protect yourself from all the extra emotions and added pressures, there are great positives in playing at home. There is no doubt that when things are going well it can be really inspiring to be playing in front of a vocal and supportive home crowd.

- Mahela Jayawardene

For many people and pundits, Team India strode into this ICC World Twenty20 as red-hot favourites. They have a rock-star batting line-up with unparalleled T20 experience, thanks largely to the IPL, and a bowling attack with the skilful left-armer Ashish Nehra backed up by some promising pacers and some top-quality spinners. They have intimate knowledge of home conditions and will be cheered on by jampacked passionate home fans.

The only problem is that this is 2016 and there are at least eight top sides in this World T20 all of whom pose a real threat. The game has moved on, teams have developed and are able to compete in different conditions — as we saw with New Zealand’s brilliant performance against India in Nagpur. T20 is also inherently unpredictable and no team can hold the favourites tag with any sense of comfort.

Don’t get me wrong,