Q&A for How to Improve Your Batting in Cricket

Place a ball on the floor, and practice hitting the drive shot, or place the ball on a batting tee. The more you practice the drive, the better you will be

To play a Yorker, you can adjust your stance to turn the ball into a full toss

Keep the bat close to the pad when you play a defensive shot, and play with soft hands.

One of the best ways to improve your timing is to use proper form, which will give you more power and range of motion. Lean into the shot, use a high backlift, and rotate your shoulders with your arms extended to create more force. Practice using your hands correctly, too—use your top hand to control the backswing, then let your bottom hand take control at the moment of impact and while following through.

Improve your hand work by practicing drop drills with just one hand. Hit 20 balls with just your top hand, then another 20 with just your bottom hand. Finally, hit 20 with both hands on the bat. This will help build your strength and coordination. You can also simply set up a bowling machine on your preferred length and practice hitting a bunch of balls!

Keep your stance well-balanced so you can easily shift your weight to either your front or back foot. Watch the bowler’s wrist carefully so you can get a sense of how they’re going to throw the ball. When you’re facing a fast bowler, use a shorter backlift. You can also practice by taking shorter throw-downs than you normally would, which will help improve your reaction time.

Stay cool and see the ball where it is coming. Time it in the sweet spot, and it hard. If it is yorker, drive the ball or defend it and if it is short pitch, try a pull shot and practise the pull shot because sometimes it will be the hit wicket.

It's possible you do not have the correct stance, or you always try to hit big shots at the first ball. Spend more time at the crease taking singles and doubles. When you think you are set to hit big shots, go for them.

You have to watch the bowler's releasing point very carefully. This will give you a trigger and automatically lead you towards making a decision on whether to go forward or back, to play an attacking shot or a defensive one.

Watch the ball until the end, until it reaches you. Then, depending on the length of the ball, select your shot and check that your footwork is good. Finally, be confident about taking the shot.

It depends on the length of ball and where it pitches. If it becomes an overpitch, then it's a stump to stump ball. You can play a straight drive if it becomes an yorker. You can step your foot forward and hit the ball.

Practice playing more and more deliveries on the offside. Don't be afraid of the ball. Approach it as if you have never had any difficulty while playing there.

Firstly, build your innings. Don't attempt a big shot in the first 30 - 40 balls. Just keep taking singles and doubles, and leave deliveries outside off stump. After you get settled, hit loose balls for a six or four, and take as many runs as possible from good deliveries. From this, you can score 80 - 100 runs consistently.

Time your shots correctly. It is possible that you are timing it wrong. Work on your timing and you will see the improvement.

Practice with a buddy, telling him or her only to throw the tough bouncing shots. When hitting, try playing pull shots, letting them roll if they seem to be too fast.

Play those bouncers more effectively. For this, you need to practice more on those deliveries. You must rightly judge the ball and must time properly from the sweet spot.

Grip the ball on the seam with your index and middle finger. Then rotate your hand clockwise as if you were opening a doorknob. If you are having trouble, add your thumb to the seam for extra stability and turn.

Watch the ball till the last second. As soon as the ball approaches, try a square cut towards the covers.

Batting first: Be confident. Positive mindset helps a lot. Don't carry negative emotions. Forget about how many runs you will score. Just love batting. Chasing: Keep your target in mind. Be positive and concentrate. Take some quick singles and twos (helps in footwork). Important: Watch the ball from the hand of the bowler till it reaches/leaves you and be confident while playing a shot. Never think twice while playing.

A yorker is a wicket taking ball, so it is best to block or defend the ball. However, always remember to present the full face of the bat while playing other shots, such as drives and defence.

In order to keep the ball on the ground, your head position and timing are the most crucial things. You must play under your eyes, keep your head over the foot and try to play the ball as late as possible.

Watch the ball well. Many batsmen inadvertently watch the bowler's face as he is running in, so make sure you watch the ball all the way from the bowler's hand when he starts his run up to when he releases the ball. You may find that a heavier bat helps with timing a stroke.

It depends on what type of ball is thrown. If it is a spin, then just block it or you can hit a ground shot. If it is a bouncer, then also block it or look at the ball and hit a six! If it is fast ball, then just be careful when you are hitting it because you can get out and sometimes you can hit six or a four runs with it. If it is a slow ball, you can hit a six or 4 or anything you want.

Muscle strength is very important for batsmen and plays an important role in building your innings. To increase muscle strength, do push ups and pull ups.

Play a hook shot ,which is exactly like a pull shot. Or, practice jumping so that you can beat a bowl by jumping high and it will make no difference, even if the bowler bowls high or low.

Firstly, have some confidence in yourself. Most batsmen get scared of certain fast bowlers, but that is where you will lose out. Try your best to whack him, if you're new at the crease don't go immediately after it, take your time. Secondly, you should watch the ball like a hawk. Watch it when it is in the hand of the bowler till the time of its release. Thirdly, you do not always need to smash the fast bowler for runs using the middle of your bat. Try touching and guiding it through gaps. This improves timing and also irritates the fast bowlers. Lastly, the most important thing is to practice a lot!

This is quite a common problem among beginners. First of all, play with proper gears, for if you play with right sporting equipment, the chances of an injury is reduced considerably. Don't start with bowls at a high speed. Instead, start playing spin bowling, and then raise your level step by step. You will develop confidence once you are comfortable with bowl. You may ask the bowler to bowl at outside off stump, so that the bowl doesn't strikes at your body. Get good at batting quickly -- it's the best reassurance of not being injured.

The advice is the same whether you are left- or right-handed. Keep practicing, learn from people who have experience with the game and develop your strength to be the best batter you can be.

If the ball is on the leg side, you should shuffle before playing it. If the ball is on the off side and you want to play it on the leg side, you should do the same process.

If the ball is pitched at driving length or defensive length, the key is to keep your head down. If the ball is pitched at short length, then it is useful to play a lofted shot or a slog. If you feel less confident, work on your back-foot shots so you can direct the ball to the ground while gaining some runs, too.