Batting 101
Okay this has to be the biggest discovery of my athletic career. It happened yesterday during my weekly cricket session. Now before I talk of my discover, it is necessary to note why it is the most important discovery of my athletic career.
As a normal child who grew up in India, I have played cricket all my life. And I am mad about it. I love the game, to play it, to watch it and to read about it. And to be honest, I always thought I was good at it. Bowling, fielding and batting. Bowling wise, my best moments are a limited and fielding wise, well that is what got me into the game in the first place. I was ten-eleven, when I scored my first direct hit runout in the fountain-garden outside my parents' house. I threw the ball from point, having only one stump to aim and successfully knocked off the bails to run out Ashwin Kulkarni. So big was the moment, that people ran towards me, amazed at what they witnessed, picked me up and cheered like I was the new king.
Batting wise, I have had more than one green days. Some of the best of them I should mention was the day during my summer holidays during ninth standard vacations. I hit the crap put of all the bowlers and I still remember Swapnil Totre, my team mate in that game, getting frustrated with the onslaught I was commiting. Then there was the day when my class at VESIT went to play cricket in RCF. Then too I whacked the ball out of the park all the time. The pick of the comments was Varun Bhagat's, who exclaimed that he would want to be in my team any sport, any day, just cause I was good at them all!!!!
And then there was yesterday. Not as glorious as some of the other days, but I am sure will go a long way in remembrance. My team was chasing a big score. I went into bat three down or something. Had the roughest of starts. Missed about seven to eight balls outside off stump, without even connecting. Shyam, my captain and non-stricker was too gettting frsutrated. He threatened to retire me out if I was not doing any good to the scoring rate. And then it happened. I changed my bat.
I thought I would check out this new bat that Pratik's father had brought from India. I picked it up, went into stance, and it felt different. Pratik delivered the ball, I swung my bat, and the ball just flew off the bat with the slighest of efforts. Unfortuntately, it hit the roof at fell straight down, but it felt good to contact the ball in that way. Next up, the ball that Pratik delivered, I whacked it straight over his head and the ball crashed into the fence at about a ten meter height. Everybody went bonkers looking at that shot! Me too.... It was my cleanest hit in the last six years or so!! Brilliant to watch. I could have an orgasm just remembering the shot! That good!
I went on to hit three more fours that day. Probably as much as I have ever hit in the indoor arena. And then it occurred to me. It was all about the bat. The trick to a perfect bat is not only its weight and grip, but most importantly it is the height. It is very important that the bat puts you in a very comfortable stance when you are about the unleash. You dont want a bat that makes you bend too low, neither too less. You should have to be able to lean with ease on the bat, and if you got natural timing, good bless the bowlers and the bowl!!!
Having found my secret recipe for batting, after soo long of playing the sport, it feels great!! I am looking forward to many more smashing innings to come and soon make a name for me in this league.
As a normal child who grew up in India, I have played cricket all my life. And I am mad about it. I love the game, to play it, to watch it and to read about it. And to be honest, I always thought I was good at it. Bowling, fielding and batting. Bowling wise, my best moments are a limited and fielding wise, well that is what got me into the game in the first place. I was ten-eleven, when I scored my first direct hit runout in the fountain-garden outside my parents' house. I threw the ball from point, having only one stump to aim and successfully knocked off the bails to run out Ashwin Kulkarni. So big was the moment, that people ran towards me, amazed at what they witnessed, picked me up and cheered like I was the new king.
Batting wise, I have had more than one green days. Some of the best of them I should mention was the day during my summer holidays during ninth standard vacations. I hit the crap put of all the bowlers and I still remember Swapnil Totre, my team mate in that game, getting frustrated with the onslaught I was commiting. Then there was the day when my class at VESIT went to play cricket in RCF. Then too I whacked the ball out of the park all the time. The pick of the comments was Varun Bhagat's, who exclaimed that he would want to be in my team any sport, any day, just cause I was good at them all!!!!
And then there was yesterday. Not as glorious as some of the other days, but I am sure will go a long way in remembrance. My team was chasing a big score. I went into bat three down or something. Had the roughest of starts. Missed about seven to eight balls outside off stump, without even connecting. Shyam, my captain and non-stricker was too gettting frsutrated. He threatened to retire me out if I was not doing any good to the scoring rate. And then it happened. I changed my bat.
I thought I would check out this new bat that Pratik's father had brought from India. I picked it up, went into stance, and it felt different. Pratik delivered the ball, I swung my bat, and the ball just flew off the bat with the slighest of efforts. Unfortuntately, it hit the roof at fell straight down, but it felt good to contact the ball in that way. Next up, the ball that Pratik delivered, I whacked it straight over his head and the ball crashed into the fence at about a ten meter height. Everybody went bonkers looking at that shot! Me too.... It was my cleanest hit in the last six years or so!! Brilliant to watch. I could have an orgasm just remembering the shot! That good!
I went on to hit three more fours that day. Probably as much as I have ever hit in the indoor arena. And then it occurred to me. It was all about the bat. The trick to a perfect bat is not only its weight and grip, but most importantly it is the height. It is very important that the bat puts you in a very comfortable stance when you are about the unleash. You dont want a bat that makes you bend too low, neither too less. You should have to be able to lean with ease on the bat, and if you got natural timing, good bless the bowlers and the bowl!!!
Having found my secret recipe for batting, after soo long of playing the sport, it feels great!! I am looking forward to many more smashing innings to come and soon make a name for me in this league.
posted by Riskit at 4:15 PM
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