Indian batsmen need basics right

The opening batsmen are a breed apart, whatever be the format. The ball is new, the bowlers are fresh and often times they have to open the innings when the wicket is fresh and the ball is doing a bit in the air and off the wicket. Openers need immense powers of concentration, solid temperament, correct technique and straight bat to succeed at the highest level.

Few contemporary Indian batsmen have a good technique, though Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are few exceptions. The othersare not bad in this regard but need to eliminate certain flaws.

But who cares for technique in modern cricket? Batsmen just want to belt the ball, irrespective of the quality of the ball or the bowler. Either they score in style or perish.

When I see Tendulkar bat I wonder what a destructive combination he would have made with Mushtaq Ali. The two would be my choice of openers for the all-time best Indian limited-overs eleven. Mushtaq could hook from anywhere and from any length.

Of course, things are a lot different today. In the days bygone, staying at the wicket was of paramount importance as scoring runs. But I believe that great batsmen are like khandanisingers. A good singer can do justice to any song, any raag. I am of that school of thought which believes that a good batsman can thrive in any conditions, adapt to any situation and be successful in any format of the game. I am sure batting greats like my idol Vijay Merchant, Vijay Hazare, Mushtaq Ali, CK Nayudu, Sunil Gavaskar wouldhave been able to bat in any form of the game. Gavaskar did not do well in the formative years of one-day cricket, but, as I said, class will eventually assert itself. Towards the end of his career, Gavaskar was batting with considerable flourish in One-Day Internationals (ODIs).

The speed at which the ball travels off Tendulkar’s bat is breathtaking. Modern batsmen are fortunate how much technology has changed in helping their cause. CK Nayudu used to hit straight sixes with a wooden patta as bats of that era were much inferior as compared to today’s beauties. Yet, Nayudu would effortlessly clear the ropes, and at times even the ground, with that piece of wood. God knows what he would have achieved with today’s bats. CK was another player who would have done wonders in one-day cricket.

Mushtaq was flamboyant, attacking all the time. Merchant would always play along the ground and in the `V’ with a straight bat. But given the situation, there is no doubt that he would have played square aswell.

But that was the job of the opener in those days, to stay in the middle long enough to ensure that they do not expose the middle order to the new ball so that the stroke players could bat with a degree of freedom. And in the process, if the opener could score a few runs also, it was a bonus. Once you are settled, you could get 30-40 runs and your job as an opener is done.

There used to be plenty of time to score, you could take your time in the middle. Today’s ODI situation is completely different. One has little time to settle down. Scoring has to be continuous. But it is basically simple. You just have to lift the ball over the infield!

(Pankaj Roy, a former India opening batsman and skipper, is on the panel of selectors for the Clinic All Clear Express Fantasy Team Contest. Roy is best remembered for his opening wicket stand of 413 with Vinoo Mankad against New Zealand in 1955-56 at Madras — a Test record for the wicket that still stands)