Often hailed as the gentleman’s game, cricket has long been associated with the innovative batting techniques developed by legendary cricketers, which have undoubtedly revolutionized cricket to an unparalleled degree. Over the decades, almost every legendary batsman in the world has had their own unique batting technique and their own idiosyncratic approach to dealing with touch-and-go deliveries. These unique and innovative batting techniques and signature hits that are still recreated by modern-day cricketers have not just helped these legendary cricketers pave a ceaseless legacy for themselves but have also ended up revolutionizing the history of international cricket in numerous ways.
In this article, we will take a look at the top five innovative batting techniques of legendary cricketers that have undoubtedly revolutionized the world of cricket.
Ricky Ponting’s Hook Shot
Former Australian cricketer and coach of the Australian cricket team, Ricky Ponting, is at the first spot on our list of top five legendary cricketers who revolutionized the world of cricket with their unorthodox batting techniques with his signature “hook shot”. In a stellar cricketing career that spanned over seventeen years, Ricky Ponting’s aggressive hook shot remained unabated. Ricky Ponting’s way of hitting a short-pitched delivery with an aggressive cross-batted shot called “hook shot” was recreated by numerous iconic modern-day cricketers, including Ajinkya Rahane.
Sachin Tendulkar’s Paddle Sweep
If you’re a hardcore of cricket fan, you must have been in awe with Sachin Tendulkar’s ease on the crease while tackling low-bouncing balls with his signature “paddle sweep” shot. If you’re wondering what an ideal paddle sweep looks like, let us take you through the stimulating affair – A paddle sweep refers to a type of sweep where the batsman hits a low bouncing ball towards fine leg with their bat stationed horizontally towards the bowler. While playing the paddle sweep shot and sweeping the ball towards the fine leg, the batsmen are generally on one knee.
Sachin Tendulkar is revered as one of the most legendary cricketers in the world to incorporate unorthodox and innovative batting techniques in the world of cricket and his signature paddle sweep is certainly one of them.
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Tillakaratne Dilshan’s Dilscoop
On the third spot on our list of the top five legendary cricketers who revolutionized the world of cricket with their innovative batting techniques, we have former Sri-Lankan international cricketer and skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan with his incredible “Dilscoop” shot, which is also sometimes referred to as the “ramp shot,” that came under the limelight during the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 tournament in England.
Tillakaratne Dilshan’s Dilscoop shot proved to be a game-changer for Sri Lanka, especially during the death overs. The dynamics of the Dilscoop shot involve the batsman going down on one knee and angling the bat in a manner that allows the ball to fly over the shoulders. Tillakaratne Dilshan’s Dilscoop shot became a go-to shot for numerous iconic cricketers, including Glenn McGrath and Douglas Marillier over the years.
Inzamam-Ul-Haq’s Leg Glance
Former Pakistan’s international cricketer and skipper Inzamam-Ul-Haq, often referred to as “Inzi,” is at the fourth spot on our list of top five legendary cricketers who revolutionized the world of cricket with their innovative batting techniques. Often hailed as one of the greatest middle-order batsmen of all-time, Pakistan’s Inzamam-Ul-Haq has often been under the spotlight for his signature “Leg Glance,” also referred to as “Hip Glance,” shot on the field.
The Leg grace continues to be one of the most innovative batting techniques in the world of cricket, as it uses the speed of the ball rather than depending upon the swing of the bat. In order to play an ideal leg glance shot, the batsman has to position themselves right behind the ball as it bounces, lean into the shot and horizontally station the bat to guide the ball on the other side of the field.
Mahela Jayawardene’s Late Cut
Although at the last spot on our list of top five legendary cricketers who revolutionized the world of cricket with their innovative batting techniques, Mahela Jayawardene’s “late cut” spells an undeniable dominance on the field, even today.
As the name of the shot suggests, it is played with patience and requires the batsmen to wait and allow the ball to come at the right level of his body before striking it. Often hailed as one of the most effective shots in limited-overs cricket, Mahela Jayawardene’s late cut requires the batsmen to stay on the back foot until the ball almost reaches the wicket-keeper. Well, with the kind of risk involved, the batsman practicing the late cut shot needs to be perfect with the timing, accuracy and skill involved.
