What's the best shot to this delivery?

[gattaca]

You can play a cover drive if you are tall but the gap between bat and pad doesn't help. It all depends on the reach.

Edited December 9, 2016 by gattaca

[Cricketics]

3 minutes ago, gattaca said:

You can play a cover drive if you are tall but the gap between bat and pad doesn't help. It all depends on the reach.

Actually, one step forward and driving it while getting on top of the ball and making sure you hit it before spin is also good. Basically, if Rahul had taken even one step further and played out of the crease further, he should have been able to drive it away for four. 

[maniac]

Reverse sweep towards third man for a mega 6

[Vijy]

Too much gap between bat and pad. Seems to be slashing away with no footwork. Rahul is evolving more into a T20/ODI player.

[sandeep]

Clearly read the length wrong there - he should have stepped out and gotten closer to the pitch - at that point, he could tap it or whack it wherever.  If he had decided not to step out, then he should have checked his shot after recognizing he wasn't going to get close enough to drive - he went ahead with the high risk low percentage shot, clear mistake, no ambiguities there.  

 

But he's young, he'll learn from this.  Pacing your innings as a batsman in various scenarios is not an obvious thing - experience counts for a lot here - and Rahul hasn't had a lot of it, even at the FC level.  Given his track record of learning from his previous mistakes, no need to be excessively harsh on the guy - even the greatest of batsmen make mistakes - thats how they get out.  

[Vijy]

2 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Clearly read the length wrong there - he should have stepped out and gotten closer to the pitch - at that point, he could tap it or whack it wherever.  If he had decided not to step out, then he should have checked his shot after recognizing he wasn't going to get close enough to drive - he went ahead with the high risk low percentage shot, clear mistake, no ambiguities there.  

 

But he's young, he'll learn from this.  Pacing your innings as a batsman in various scenarios is not an obvious thing - experience counts for a lot here - and Rahul hasn't had a lot of it, even at the FC level.  Given his track record of learning from his previous mistakes, no need to be excessively harsh on the guy - even the greatest of batsmen make mistakes - thats how they get out.  

Has had a more-than-reasonable amount of time and experience in FC. I'm actually concerned that over the past 5-6 innings in Tests, his batting is regressing somewhat - more of the T20 plays coming into the game.

[sandeep]

Just now, Vijy said:

Has had a more-than-reasonable amount of time and experience in FC. I'm actually concerned that over the past 5-6 innings in Tests, his batting is regressing somewhat - more of the T20 plays coming into the game.

Small sample set.  Hold the judgement a bit - he'll bounce back fine I think.  

[Vijy]

7 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Small sample set.  Hold the judgement a bit - he'll bounce back fine I think.  

Will do. Still not convinced. I think this will prove to be like Kohli's Eng tour for him.

[Deleted_User_1]

12 hours ago, Cricketics said:

We are on day 2, with no hurry and Rahul plays this shot in over confidence. He was looking pretty good up till then and then he got out on this delivery, trying to hit a boundary.

Check this shot out now in slow mo. The ball is not FULL by any means. It is pitched up and it is pretty risky to drive on bowler like Moeen Ali, who turns a fair bit.

How would you play that ball?

Defend it on back foot?

Defend it on Front foot?

Play sweep?

Play a cross shot for a dot or a single. This has a risk of getting leg before too?

Come down the track and hit it at long OFF/LONG ON region?

Come down the track and defend?

 

I personally feel he should have defended it on backfoot. He fell for the plan. Moeen Ali wanted him to drive and he did that and fell. If the ball was a bit more fuller length, Rahul would have succeeded in getting a boundary, but not here where the ball is far from an over pitched, full delivery.

 

Hit back with Arsenic!!!!

[Forever Indian]

Did not get to pitch of ball, otherwise this shot was on. Would have preferred to hit it straight past the bowler though.

[gattaca]

1 hour ago, sandeep said:

Small sample set.  Hold the judgement a bit - he'll bounce back fine I think.  

I saw his domestic innings as well. He plays away from the body as well. Set a  7-2 field and you will see you can get him for low scores.

[gattaca]

4 hours ago, Cricketics said:

Actually, one step forward and driving it while getting on top of the ball and making sure you hit it before spin is also good. Basically, if Rahul had taken even one step further and played out of the crease further, he should have been able to drive it away for four. 

Yup if are short you need to reach for the ball.

[Vijy]

1 minute ago, gattaca said:

I saw his domestic innings as well. He plays away from the body as well. Set a  7-2 field and you will see you can get him for low scores.

This is what captains will start going for more often. Rahul has become much more impatient lately.

[sandeep]

Just now, gattaca said:

I saw his domestic innings as well. He plays away from the body as well. Set a  7-2 field and you will see you can get him for low scores.

Nobody's saying he's the finished product - but he's shown enough to merit a bit of a run.  How many tests has he played?  Expecting all-star level production and consistency from a guy who's played a handful of tests is very unrealistic.  All batsmen have strengths and weaknesses.  He may go on to fail to overcome his weaknesses.  Or conquer them.  Yet to be seen.  But he's got enough going for him for a bit of slack at the moment.  

 

He was playing according to the team game-plan - Attack the inexperienced spinners and deny them the chance to settle in a threatening rhythm.  Sure he got carried away and had an error in judgement that cost him his wicket.  It happens. Its a game.  Sometimes the bowler gets it just right, and you misjudge a ball.  People are swarming all over and blaming IPL and T20 and all that, its a bit of a rushed judgement.  

 

And its not like he's not under the gun - Dhawan is not out of the mix entirely, and the likes of Mukund, Panchal etc are putting up numbers at the FC level.  I'm sure he's well aware that he needs to produce big runs to keep his spot.  

[sandeep]

I just looked at the replay again to see if the ball dipped on him, it didnt.  It looks like just an error in judging the length.   

[Vijy]

25 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Nobody's saying he's the finished product - but he's shown enough to merit a bit of a run.  How many tests has he played?  Expecting all-star level production and consistency from a guy who's played a handful of tests is very unrealistic.  All batsmen have strengths and weaknesses.  He may go on to fail to overcome his weaknesses.  Or conquer them.  Yet to be seen.  But he's got enough going for him for a bit of slack at the moment.  

 

He was playing according to the team game-plan - Attack the inexperienced spinners and deny them the chance to settle in a threatening rhythm.  Sure he got carried away and had an error in judgement that cost him his wicket.  It happens. Its a game.  Sometimes the bowler gets it just right, and you misjudge a ball.  People are swarming all over and blaming IPL and T20 and all that, its a bit of a rushed judgement.  

 

And its not like he's not under the gun - Dhawan is not out of the mix entirely, and the likes of Mukund, Panchal etc are putting up numbers at the FC level.  I'm sure he's well aware that he needs to produce big runs to keep his spot.  

Hope so. He needs some healthy competition.

[MCcricket]

1 hour ago, sandeep said:

I just looked at the replay again to see if the ball dipped on him, it didnt.  It looks like just an error in judging the length.   

You got it wrong then, drift no but dip yes, look at the trajectory, the ball certainly dipped, problem is his hands are over extending to reach the ball

[sandeep]

30 minutes ago, MCcricket said:

You got it wrong then, drift no but dip yes, look at the trajectory, the ball certainly dipped, problem is his hands are over extending to reach the ball

What I meant is, the dip wasn't drastic enough to attribute the judgement error to it - Its not as if Moeen bowled a jaffa there with sudden dip, Ashwin style.  

[coffee_rules]

He was playing for a less spin and the ball spun more. More like how Cook defended the wrong line for spin and was bowled by Ashwin. Even if Rahul had played defense down that line he would be bowled. You cannot pre-commit to a play before reading from the pitch, unless you go dancing down the pitch to where the ball pitches and loft it out like Murli does.  Backfoot play for spin is dangerous because the spun ball can get to you very fast and you should be god to read the ball from the pitch and adjust.

 

There is nothing arrogance in this shot , doesn't deserve the abuse of some posters here - shit shot, brain fart, prick etc.. Unless your name is Rohit Sharma, one doesn't get called names here in ICF because of the talent he brings to the table! Rahul <<<<<<<< Rohit in terms of Talent hype.

[Cricketics]

1 hour ago, coffee_rules said:

He was playing for a less spin and the ball spun more. More like how Cook defended the wrong line for spin and was bowled by Ashwin. Even if Rahul had played defense down that line he would be bowled. You cannot pre-commit to a play before reading from the pitch, unless you go dancing down the pitch to where the ball pitches and loft it out like Murli does.  Backfoot play for spin is dangerous because the spun ball can get to you very fast and you should be god to read the ball from the pitch and adjust.

 

There is nothing arrogance in this shot , doesn't deserve the abuse of some posters here - shit shot, brain fart, prick etc.. Unless your name is Rohit Sharma, one doesn't get called names here in ICF because of the talent he brings to the table! Rahul <<<<<<<< Rohit in terms of Talent hype.

Agreed especially about the name calling. However, since we are just analyzing this, I feel backoot play for a tall batsman like Rahul won't be as bad. May be someone short like parthiv would be a bad idea but since that ball is really slow, probably 65 miles p/hr, one can easily go back foot and defend regardless of the sharp turn which might take place.