"To stand outside the crease is not a bad idea" - Sachin Tendulkar explains how to cut the swing in England
Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has explained why it is a good idea to to stand outside the crease to cut the swing in English conditions ahead of the 2nd Test between India and England at Lord's.
English conditions offer a lot of seam and swing, making things difficult for the batters. Tendulkar highlighted that batting outside the crease often forces the bowlers to shorten their length, which ultimately benefits the batters.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Sachin Tendulkar said:
"Yes, it works. Basically, what you are doing is letting the bowler know that you are outside the crease. So, the bowler has to change the trajectory and the release point of the ball.
"Bowlers, who are pitching up, have to drag back the length. If someone is bowling short, you could stay inside the crease also. But to stand outside the crease is not a bad idea."
Sachin Tendulkar was one of the few Indian batsmen, who flourished in English conditions. He amassed 1575 runs from 17 Tests at a healthy average of 54.31, including four centuries and eight fifties.
The former India captain also highlighted the adversities of batting outside the crease. Tendulkar said that batters need to be more careful while leaving the ball outside the off-stump.
"Sometimes, you will think that it is a good leave, but because the distance has increased between you and the stumps, it still has time to come in and hit the stumps. If you are outside the crease, you should take a middle-stump guard, instead of leg-stump. The further you are out of the crease, the more you come towards the off-stump. It helps you judge the ball better," Sachin Tendulkar added.
"For the first 12 years, I couldn't sleep properly on the eve of the match" - Sachin Tendulkar
Meanwhile, batting in alien conditions and the difficulties it possesses often put batsmen under pressure. Speaking further, Sachin Tendulkar highlighted that sportspeople go through a lot of anxiety before an important game.
"If you care about something, there will certainly be some restlessness. That’s only because I cared about my cricket and I wanted to do well every time I walked out. I would say, for the first 12 years of my career, I couldn’t sleep properly on the eve of the game. I would constantly think about how I will face the bowlers. What will they bowl, what options do I have? I would keep thinking and would fight my sleep," Sachin Tendulkar said.
"Later, I could deal with it. I started accepting; this is how my body and mind is getting geared up for the game. It is ok, I don’t need to fight this feeling, I embraced that. I said ‘it’s okay even if I am awake at 12:30 or 1:00 at night watching TV, listening to music or whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. The reason I am like this is because I am getting ready for the game. And it’s okay as it is only part of my preparation.’ The acceptance was important. The more I started to understand myself, things became okay. (Laughs) I will not say okay completely, but I knew this was normal. I made peace with it," he added.
Many cricketers have now opened up on mental health issues. Most recently, ace England all-rounder Ben Stokes has taken an indefinite break from cricket citing mental health prob.