Batting Basics

Starting the Innings
A. When you start your innings tell yourself - Concentrate hard, play straight, if its wide let it go! Keep talking to yourself when you're at the crease about the importance of concentration.
B. In early part of your innings, you should try playing the safest shots for singles. But if its a bad ball, grab your opportunity to settle with a bang! but stay focussed on singles. First target is make a 20.
C. First hour is bowlers, and then rest of the time is yours.

Basics
1. Concentrate every ball. Stand up as straight as possible with head still.
2. Watch the ball - delivered right from the hands of the bowler.
(Can also watch the bowler throughout his stride.)
3. Stay Balanced - keep your head still.
4. Lift the bat right before the ball is delivered.
5. Ball pitched up - Go on front foot. Get behind the ball.
6. Ball pitched short - Go on back foot. Get behind the ball.
7. Try as high a back lift as most comfortable for you.
8. Try playing through "V".
9. Play ball at its merit.

How to Play Fast Bowling
1. Bowl whistling past your head three or four time a over? Just get stuck in, watch the ball, and realize fancy shots are out. Aim for nudges and glides for a while! Settle for unspectacular and keep your nerve! Your time will only come if you stay there!
2. Make sure he don't scare you. And above that make sure that he don't feel that he is scaring you.
3. If it is too fast, you can manage with less of a feet movement for saving an extra fraction of a second for eye-arm coordination.
4. Keep the head still and upright.
5. Don't take your eye off the ball when ducking.
6. Watch him from the start of his run, his delivery stride, concentrate on his bowling arm, slight back lift and bat going up just as the bowler lets fly! Back to the basics!
7. Wicket keeping low? play forward!
8. Late swing going on? Don't commit yourself in shots too early. Try start playing late.
9. Watch your pulls and hooks, they are going to be your scoring strokes, but they are the strokes that can get you out! Bowler is making that plan, Isn't he? Watch his leg side field!
10. Stay ready to use more of bottom/right hand (for RH batsman).
11. Sometimes advancing down the wicket is a good strategy to disrupt his line. Advancing down the wicket is mostly premeditated. But that does not mean you have to whack the ball. If the ball is not in the right place, play it quietly. You can play safe defensive strokes while advancing down the wicket. Don't commit too far. Just take a little step forward. And check your shot. It can help disrupt their line and length.
12. If you don't have a nerve, but it! Can you? If not, find it! Or create it!

How to play Spin Bowling
1. "Here's a chance of making run!" Think so? Think again! Spinners are there to make you play those run making rash strokes and get out! You have hit two sixes on him, and given catch trying to hit the third one! 12 for one wicket- His average is great! and you're going to sit in the pavilion for the rest of the game.
2. Start playing him quietly and sensible, probably in a "V", making 3-4 a over.
3. Stay ready to use more of upper/left hand (for RH batsman).
4. Four and sixes against spinners have to be earned more than against fast bowlers because of the speed, and hence more chances of making a wrong stroke! Play straight, and play at the merit.
4a. Footwork is most important.
4b. Advancing down the wicket is mostly premeditated. But that does not mean you have to whack the ball. If the ball is not in the right place, play it quietly. You can play safe defensive strokes while advancing down the wicket. Don't commit too far. Just take a little step forward. And check your shot. Spinners don't like this sight even if its defensive stroke.
4c. Try to see that you don't just stand there for him to get his rhythm.
4d. Don't try the lofted straight drives, if both long on and long off are back.

Off Spin
5. Look to come forward without lunging forward before the ball is delivered. Coming forward does not mean taking a "big" step forward. It mean a forward thrust.
6. Let the ball come to you.
7. If he is coming round the wicket - he's started to look for the lbw.
8. His possible variations - off break, arm ball, doosra, faster.
9. Notice change in seam and way he holds its, and his action to notice his different deliveries.
10. For arm ball he has one finger on it rather than usual two.
11. Big hits are generally better toward the leg side - with the spin! Watch your gaps, he will usually have a mid-wicket, long on, and long leg. Remember to use the right/bottom hand (RH).
12. Inside out - towards mid off or extra cover.
12a. Watching cutting off spinners, you can drag the ball on to the stumps.
13. Outside in - glance for singles.
13a. Play sweep or lap shot when its safe enough.
14. Play in the V for singles.

Leg Spin
15. Variations - Leg break, top-spinner, Googly.
16. Googly and top spinner comes out of the back of the hand.
17. Focus where your leg stumps is and how much is he turning. Beware of round the legs .
18. Don't lunge forward. Don't commit too early.
19. Hit with the Spin - Off Side!
20. Play sweep or lap shot when its safe enough.
21. Let the ball come to you.


Others
1. Sometimes run don't come! Stay patient! Tell yourself "Play the ball at its merit, and use this time to get settled! Time will come to experiment!"
1a. Don't throw away your wicket, once you have made a 50 or 100. Take a fresh guard! and Focus harder after reaching the milestone. It is easier for you to get the job done for your team now rather than a new batsman coming in!
2. Got beaten or a catch dropped! Forget about it! Play the next ball at its merit.
3. Hit a four or a six! Forget about it! Play the next ball at its merit.
4. There are more number of times a batsman gets out from his own mistake than a bowler's skills. Don't make those mistakes, don't throw away your wicket. If you get out, make sure they have earned your wicket.
5. Before going in to bat, Watch the bowlers - what they are doing? (Unless you are an opener!)
Notice their field placings!
6. Counting your runs is not a good idea. It takes you away from playing the ball at its merit.
7. When "out of form", focus on playing your natural game.
8. No need to talk to the fielders, focus on your game, concentrate.
9. Umpiring decisions even out. Forget about the bad ones. Its up to your personal ethics and lifestyle to decide if you want to become a "walker" once dismissed, or one who believes in "even out decisions" policy.
10. Keep notes of "how you have got out?" and learn from it - what not to do?
11. Run three times a week, for about four miles.
12. Get used to helmet as soon as you can.
13. Practice in the nets like you're in a match. Unless you're working out a specific technique or batting problem.
14. Bowling always look easy from the sidelines.

It's boring to sit outside and watch the game - Stay on the crease, concentrate and Perform!