Wednesday, January 30, 2008

COVER DRIVE :(


I just don't get it . I have been playing quality cricket with the leather ball since 2003 (post JEE) and have not mastered it, err even got it right once. I am able to score in the V like a Shoaib Malik consistently but never in the covers. Like the Hyderabadis love affair with flick, I think I can flick/leg glance pretty peacefully though I miss out many on-drives by trying to flick every ball even marginally on the leg and getting hit on pads. This again is because I dont bend and find flick easier than bending, moving my feet and scoring. Is my inability to bend a manufacturing defect? :(

If it is between cover and point I generally tend to hit it in the air and have gotten out to a catch in point or cover point twice . I just cant get the ball to go along the ground in this region. I am able to score between cover and mid off though. Even if the ball is pitched short I try a back foot drive through covers instead of waiting for it and cutting it. One reason pointed out was that I dont wait for the ball , hence missing out on juicy cut shots which are very fruitful. Another strongest reason was that I do not bend at all and have very minimal footwork.

A suggested remedy by a stud max batsman from my team (Karthik Naib)was to do this.Take a leg stick guard, as soon as the ball is about to be delivered concentrate on the bowlers hand, move your back foot to a small extent towards the off stump, and take a back lift simultaneously. This will get your feet moving and give you some extra time to play the ball. After that focus only on the ball and watch it till it leaves your bat. I dont watch the ball till the last moment though. As in, when you are hitting the ball you should see the ball where as I see where I intend to place the ball thereby not bending my head. I started watching our batsman. Laxman, Dravid and Ganguly take a small step back with a back lift as mentioned by Naib whereas surprisingly Sachin hardly moves his back foot, and on the contrary sometimes pulls off his front foot also and on many occasions moves from leg to off in the same line but not back. Anyway, I cant replicate him, but would like to ask you guys the funda for a proper full blooded cover drive with a Yuvi level thud sound which should unnerve the bowler. I have a match this Saturday, and my last tryst with cricket surely in the near future. I would like to end it on a high note . Fundaes , please !

Btw check out cricket on wiki.

3 comments:

Vetty Max said...

Try opening or closing your stance. (stance opening is supposedly effective against bowlers who move the ball in to you)

Stance change is relatively easier to implement than doing stuff like looking at the ball while hitting it.

Sandeep Sundaram said...

do u hv ne vdos of me playing cricket .. :P
Can u remember me playing cricket in our ground how i used 2 smash all the bowlers round the park ..
though v dint have enough space 2 play cover drive.. i used2 play it well anyways u can see my orkut album .. ...
the best way 2 bat is ape my batting stance ... the way i hit it and don't forget 2 close ur eyes before u hit the ball [:P]

Sri said...

mama...why didnt u ask gutta...[:P]..