Aggressive approach: the new mantra

In future there would be little or no difference in the approach in different formats

After the Rajkot T20 International on the 7th instant at Rajkot India v/s Sri Lanka and experiencing with delight the Surya Kumar Yadav exhibition of the 360 degrees range of strokes, I began to wonder if we who played cricket around four decades earlier would have been coached to play in the manner that we get to see in the current scenario.

I will for the time being focus on batting and the concept ingrained into us was that the basic ingredient is patience. We were told by our coaches that when we approached the pitch it was imperative that we spent time to gauge the bounce and pace of the wicket and also get our ‘eye in’.

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This was also construed as a trait of a dependable and consistent scorer. The coaches of that era would be livid if we played across the line of the ball even during practise sessions. The evolution of batting comes into view when you watch a game like the T20 and specifically what we got to see when Surya was batting in that match.

In my view the mindset is to dominate the bowler and force them to submission. This mindset was also there earlier with some of the great batsmen of the generation up to the 20th century. Vivian Richards, Brian Lara, Sir Donald Bradman, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and many others whose mindset even in Test matches was to attack the bowler into submission.

Modern sport is all about power and precision and batting in cricket has evolved in the same direction.
Consequently, the coaches who have advocated a wait and watch approach for their wards would have to review their methods and mould the next generation with an approach that encourages acquiring skills that allows batsman to play the 360 degrees approach that Suryakumar Yadav has demonstrated to the entire world.

In future there would be little or no difference in the approach in different formats. The ability to dominate at all times would be the approach. I hope the cricket coaches review their approach in moulding their wards.

However, besides acquiring these skills it is the ‘mindset’ that is more important – To dominate the proceedings when you are competing at all times.

By Vijay Mohan Raj
(Former Mumbai and Hyderabad Ranji Player)