Too close for comfort - Aakash Chopra

[Sachinism]

great article...but I don't agree with being in a half squat. You have to get down all the way because a lot of chances are missed off the off spinner turning it sharply into the right hand batsmen. They try to flick it away as a get out shot and often edge it. If your in a half squat, often times you aren't gonna be able to get under the ball and your balance is messed. a story for you guys...i appreciate in this article how he mentioned that standing up close is a junior's job...ain't a truer word been said. I've been subjected to that crap since I was 14 and it continues even today. In my first game for my new team in Brampton, our opening bowlers cut through the opposition to have them 30/6 in 20 overs, with the two opening bowlers having bowled out. This was a unique game cuz there was rain scheduled to happen later in the afternoon so the league wanted a 8 AM start. In the summer months, Canada can get REALLY humid in the mornings, and so the league tries to schedule the games later for a 12 PM start. Needless to say the ball was swinging around like CRAZY. So anyways the spinners come on and we see the usual from the tail...block block block, SLOG, block block. So my captain asks me to get a helmet. Confused, I told him that only 6 wickets are down, and so why am I padding up? He smiled and said, no son, get into silly mid off. So I get into position, and the first 3 balls are pitched up and defended. For some stupid reason, the fourth is a half trekker that I see out of the corner of my eye. I see the batsmen get back, the backlift go way up, and I just put my hands infront of my face, bracing for the impact. SMASH. Hit like a rocket....but straight into my hands! I didn't even know what was happening until my teammates started piling up on me. Later blood started to ooze out of my fingernails...the weirdest sensation ever. But we won, and that's all that matters.

:two_thumbs_up: Gotta take one for the team sometimes

[Shehezaada]

:two_thumbs_up: Gotta take one for the team sometimes

for sure bro

[The Outsider]

great article...but I don't agree with being in a half squat. You have to get down all the way because a lot of chances are missed off the off spinner turning it sharply into the right hand batsmen. They try to flick it away as a get out shot and often edge it. If your in a half squat, often times you aren't gonna be able to get under the ball and your balance is messed.

Lovely piece by Aakash. Always love reading his articles. Shivam, what Aakash is saying is to stay in half crouch but with your hands low down close to the ground. Boon also had a similar stance.

[Mr. Wicket]

Chopra is a very very good writer with a lot of intelligent things to say on the game and those who run it. Another top article from him. I just finished reading his book Beyond the Blues that covers a full season of domestic cricket (right down to IPL I). Fantastic read. If anyone sees it on a shelf they should pick it up.

[Shehezaada]

Lovely piece by Aakash. Always love reading his articles. Shivam, what Aakash is saying is to stay in half crouch but with your hands low down close to the ground. Boon also had a similar stance.

Hi Doc Sahab....I've experimented with half crouch before but even with your hands down low i find it takes way too much time to get "under" the ball. It might seem irrelevant because your hands are already close to the ground, but catching is so much more then your hands...particularly in these types of position. If there's a sharp chance to your left or right I think it's much better for your body to be closer to the ground AS WELL as your hands so you can snaffle it. With a full crouch, body and hands lower to the ground, i feel more in control, and for me it's much easier to get "up", then down, so I like to be down. Everyone's different of course. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUMDc7NcRmI]YouTube - The Brilliance of Aakash Chopra at Short Leg[/ame]

[Sachinism]

Who remembers Aakash standing at short leg to Langer with I think Agarkar bowling, he pitched it short Langer smashes it and Aakash somehow caught it but it was a frikking no ball

[Mr. Wicket]

Yup, have cribbed about that moment being a too-easily-forgotten point of that series. Although that was off Goofy Nehra's bowling, not Aag.

[Shehezaada]

Who remembers Aakash standing at short leg to Langer with I think Agarkar bowling' date=' he pitched it short Langer smashes it and Aakash somehow caught it but it was a frikking no ball[/quote'] that was AWESOME....Langer actually pulled it and Chopra somehow held on! i think it was in the first test

[Lord]

Who remembers Aakash standing at short leg to Langer with I think Agarkar bowling' date=' he pitched it short Langer smashes it and Aakash somehow caught it but it was a frikking no ball[/quote'] video?