How to Play the Cover Drive in Cricket? Technique Explained

The cover drive is one of cricket’s oldest and most elegant shots. Yes, it looks fantastic, but it is also a great way to impress the fans because the batters look excellent doing it.

The shot is elegant and has been around for quite some time. The stroke has long been associated with gentlemanly sportsmanship. 

Some of the Best Cricket Ball Drivers

Even if it is a problematic comparison, we can say that the cover drive is the best cricket shot. Players like Kumar Sangakkara and Sachin R. Tendulkar have enhanced this shot with their touch.

A cover drive is a sight to behold for any cricket fan. Simultaneously, mastery of the shot is not easy to achieve. It is relatively straightforward when we witness a batsman placing the ball into the covers.

But have you ever considered how difficult this shot could be?

All you need to execute your cover drive into the fence is good ball judging, dynamic foot movement, great head position, a good wing on the bat with pure timing and grace, and a good presence of mind for identifying holes.

Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Michael Vaughan, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Herschelle Gibbs, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Rahul Dravid are the top players of cover drive shot.

Also Read: Virat Kohli’s Cover Drive: Strength or Weakness?

What Exactly is a Cover Drive Shot?

Trademark cover drive from @imVkohli
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We know you’re familiar with the shot, but have you ever wondered what the technicalities are behind it? 

A cover drive shot is primarily an aggressive shot aimed between the point and mid-off. You can play it either on your front foot or your back foot.

However, it is dependent on the length of the bowl. A cover drive should ideally be performed on the line between the fourth and sixth stumps, outside the off stumps.

Back foot drive or punch should be considered for deliveries bowled back of a length (deliveries short of a good length or pitched 7 to 8 metres away from the stumps).

Those bowled at extraordinary lengths (between 4 and 7 metres) from the stumps should be addressed with a front foot drive using the entire face of the bat.

How to Play a Cover Drive Shot? – Shot Techniques

The cover drive is a beautiful shot recognised for its timing and beauty. To execute a shot flawlessly, you must first identify several critical factors that must be completed swiftly.

We will break down the technicalities that you must grasp to achieve the desired results.

1. Foot Position

It would help if you had excellent foot posture for a pure cover drive–the position that permits you to have an excellent and smooth bat swing.

Foot position lets you get on the back foot for the drive or punch. A decent foot stance for a cover drive requires a player to keep their front leg slightly inside the line of the ball.

A player must keep their front feet inside and close to the stump line. It will give you a strong bat swing and enough space to play the ball. 

2. Position of the Front Foot for Driving

When going for the front foot drive, stride outside the crease and get your foot inside the ball’s line. The stride should be pleasant and provide adequate balance on your feet.

After striding forward, bend your front leg’s knee slightly and shift your weight to the knee. This foot position will allow you to strike the ball on the ground more effectively. 

3. Position of the Back Foot for Driving

All you have to do to play the back-foot cover drive is push your weight backwards with your front foot. Then, with your back foot, stride backwards towards the stump to enter the ball’s line.

4. Position of the Head

When a player selects to play the cover drive shot, they must ensure that their heading position is either towards or in the line of the ball. This is because your body progressively shifts in the same direction as your head.

5. Elbow Posture and Bat Grip

The elbows should be raised and not tightened to attain the appropriate timing and location.

6. Targeted Area for the Cover Drive Shot

The targeted region remains the same, and the shot’s name has been driven from the cover position. It indicates that a player typically stands in a cover region to catch the ball between the point and mid-off. A cover drive occurs when a ball beats him and travels to the boundary.

7. Examine the Playing Conditions

If the circumstances are bowler-friendly or the bowl is still gaining swing, you should put your cover drive on hold and try to defend or play with the front face of the bat.

8. Practise Putting a Ball into the Spaces

Place cones or dumbbells towards cover regions to simulate the actual field position for a unique yet valuable training session. Then, to achieve the finest cover drive practice for the gap placement, try to place the ball between cones or dumbbells.

9. Compete against a Bowling Machine

These machines are intended to practise a particular shot in a specified zone, such as a cover drive or defending the ball by travelling down the field at a certain speed. These machines provide a wide range of speeds for practice. 

10. Throwing Practice

You must have a partner to throw a ball from half of the pitch for this practice session. They can toss the ball using either an underarm or an overarm throw.

If you are comfortable with the bounce and speed, you can continue, but if you are having trouble, you can ask them to bowl underarm.

Final Thoughts

To have better control over the ball, you must be equipped with every shot in the game of cricket. The cover drive adds to the batsman’s elegance and provides a terrific scoring option for the player. So those are the technical features and tactics that define how to play the cover drive.

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