Cricket has witnessed some of the most incredible transitions in its history. What began as a 5-day game with 90 overs bowled was cut to a day, then lowered to a 20-over game ending in nearly a quarter of a day. Surprisingly, it has progressed to a T10 league after several modifications.
In all fields of human endeavour, evolution is always the next step forward, and cricket is no exception. A sport promoted as something bigger than life is constantly subjected to stringent revisions and refinements on every platform accessible. The balls, pitches, and ground size, among other things.
The modern version of cricket has seen some of the game’s most ludicrous and inhuman innovations. England is regarded as the country that invented cricket, and its people are regarded as classy, creating gentlemanly test batters who enforce sheer class and exude composure.
Due to the sheer advancements of the game and players, they have now developed players who are earning lifelong fortunes in an IPL auction. Cricket’s traditional fare has become increasingly scarce. A team that used to consist of five batters and five bowlers, led by a keeper batter, would today opt for a swarm of all-rounders. The game has seen some of the most brilliant players adjust to the introduction of limited-overs cricket. We now witness some of the world’s most unique photographs, thanks to the daring teenagers with one idol named Abraham Benjamin De Villiers.
ABD was one of the first players to introduce unconventional yet effective shots into the game. The ramp shot was one of the earliest shots that awed the world. The Ramp shot was originally used to take advantage of the open space at fine leg. Batters tend to move to the off-side and catapult the ball over a fine leg if a fine leg is positioned inside the thirty-yard circle. Misbah-ul-Haq infamously played this shot in the 2007 finals, which resulted in national anguish. Here’s how to play it effectively while avoiding danger.
The ramp shot is a highly ingenious cricket stroke that has become one of the game’s most recognisable images in the previous decade. On both sides of the wicket, the ramp shot is hit behind square, typically between the third man and fine leg fielding positions.
Ramp shot: Step by step
Step 1: To remain in a balanced stance
A batter in a balanced stance must have a comfortable base, not too wide or too narrow. Hold the bat towards the outer edge of the bat while remaining focused with good head alignment.
Step 2: Opposite direction trigger
The typical trigger or initial movement is the traditional back and across the movement that prepares the batter to play a shot. The ‘opposite trigger’ is when the batter transfers his back foot to the leg side region to shuffle across and get down on his knees.
Step 3: Opening the face of the bat
To avoid skying the ball up in the air, the batter must open the face of the bat. Even if he doesn’t time it perfectly, opening the face of the bat will allow him to get more wood on the ball.
Step 4: Watching the ball closely and executing
The ramp shot or paddle scoop is pre-determined, and the batter must remain focused throughout the process. He must get the bat on the ball once he is on his knees to complete the process of completing the ideal ramp shot.
As the ball strikes your bat, bend slightly away from the direction you’re attempting to hit the ball. This is to prevent you from hitting the ball into your own body.
A clear head is a vital prerequisite when playing the paddle scoop. Once the hitter has decided to play that shot, he must gather as much wood as possible. This shot would necessitate him having the proper posture, base, and trigger movement. Note that you don’t have to strike the ball hard when playing this shot. The idea is to harness the pace that the fast bowler has already applied to the ball and simply guide it with the face of your bat. If you need a little more power behind the shot, flex your wrists gently as the ball makes contact with the bat.
This shot necessitates good hand-eye coordination and fearlessness, particularly when faced with quicker bowlers, where a miss can result in the batsmen being removed. But he may be hurt if the ball hits the hitter in the head. Yet, when employed as a risky bet, the shot can irritate the captain of the fielding side because placing a fielder to stop a paddle scoop may present openings and scoring possibilities elsewhere.
When it comes to which types of deliveries you should use the ramp shot, you can use it against any ball that is of good length or fuller. It also makes it easy if the delivery area isn’t too wide.
To put it simply, you must maintain a balanced stance that allows you to move freely and trigger appropriately. If you’ve mastered the basics, the preset shot can only be executed with a clear head. It is critical to note that the purpose of this shot is to guide the ball over the fine leg rather than smash the ball into another oblivion.