England is one of the most difficult places for the batsman to score runs as the Duke ball swings the most in English conditions.
There are mostly overcast conditions in the United Kingdom, which also helps the bowlers breathe down the neck of the batsmen.
To be successful in England, the batsman has to know where his off-stump is and leaving the ball is the most important thing. The batsman should also look to play the ball late and should not commit himself early on the front foot or the backfoot.
Furthermore, one of the ways to negate swing is to stand outside the crease, which helps the batsmen in disturbing bowler’s line and length. Moreover, it is not easy for the bowlers to get LBW if the batsman is standing outside the crease.
Sachin Tendulkar, India’s former legendary batsman feels it is not a bad idea to stand outside the crease in English conditions. Tendulkuar is one of the few Indian batsmen who savoured success in England as he scored 1575 runs from 17 Tests at a fine average of 54.31, including four centuries and eight fifties.
Sachin said while talking to Indian express, “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.”
The Master Blaster also highlighted that the batsman should take a middle-stump guard if he is batting outside the crease as it will help him judge the length of the ball more accurately.
“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.
Sachin also shed light on mental fitness and revealed that he could not get proper sleep on eve of the Test match in the first 12 years of his International career. The second Test match will be played today at Lord’s.
