There are batters who score runs. Then there is Sachin Tendulkar, who turned batting into an art.
What made him an artist were his skilful shots. Some shots became so closely linked with Sachin that you could identify him just by the way he played them. They were clean, elegant and almost impossible to forget.
On that note, here’s a look at the five cricket shots that truly define Sachin Tendulkar.
Straight Drive
If there is one shot that reminds every cricket fan of Sachin Tendulkar, it is the straight drive.
If a full delivery came his way, the bat came down perfectly straight and the ball raced past the bowler before anyone could move. There was no extra force, just pure timing!
The beauty of this shot was its simplicity. Sachin kept his head still, his elbow high and hit the ball with the full face of the bat. It looked effortless every single time. (Watch some of his finest straight drives here.)
Cover Drive
The cover drive was another shot that became a part of Sachin’s identity.
Whenever bowlers overpitched outside off stump, he leaned into the ball and drove it through the covers with complete control. The shot was graceful, but it was also extremely effective.
There was no wild swing of the bat. Everything was balanced and perfectly timed.
Also Read | How to Play the Cover Drive in Cricket?
Back-foot Punch
Not every great shot needs a full-length delivery. Sachin proved that with his brilliant back-foot punch.
Against fast bowlers, especially on bouncy pitches, he would quickly move onto the back foot and punch the ball through the off side. It was all about placement and timing.
This shot brought him plenty of runs in countries like Australia and South Africa, where bounce was always on offer. Even good deliveries often ended up racing to the boundary.
Flick Through Midwicket
Sachin’s wrists were among the best in world cricket. And the flick through midwicket showed exactly why.
When bowlers drifted onto his pads, he gently flicked the ball through square leg or midwicket with beautiful timing. The shot looked so easy that it almost felt unfair on the bowler.
He barely seemed to force the ball, yet it regularly found the boundary. It was one of his safest and most reliable scoring shots throughout his career.
Upper Cut
The upper cut arrived later in Sachin’s career and quickly became one of his most memorable attacking shots.
When fast bowlers bowled the ball short and wide outside off stump, most batters looked to cut along the ground. But Sachin had a different idea.
He opened the face of the bat and guided the ball over the slips or third man, often for four or even six.
It showed that even after years at the top, Sachin was still adding new dimensions to his batting.
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