Forward Defence
The foundation shot.
Hands & Bat: at impact, bat angled slightly down, top hand dominant.
Technical Breakdown
19-section schemaDefinition
A vertical-bat defensive stroke played to a good-length ball, with weight forward and the bat brought down close to the front pad (Dravid, Pujara, Cook).
Difficulty Level
Foundation — the first thing every player learns; the basis of every advanced variation.
Foot Placement
strides to the of the ball, head the front knee.
Common Mistakes & Drills
Bat away from pad creates the bat-pad gap — bowled and inside- ; drill close gap with bat-pad coaching cones.
Famous Players
Drills → real performancesRahul Dravid
1996–2012Top-order batter (India)
Rahul Dravid (Top-order batter for India, 1996–2012). Best known for: 210 catches, The Wall. Holds the record for most catches as a non- (210) — his technique used and waited for the ball, becoming the model for India's cordon.
Cheteshwar Pujara
2010–presentTop-order batter (India)
Cheteshwar Pujara (Top-order batter for India, 2010–present). Best known for: leave specialist.
Alastair Cook
2006–2018Opening batter (England)
Alastair Cook (Opening batter for England, 2006–2018). Best known for: England's leading run-scorer.