The best batter to ever pick up a cricket bat devised a shot that has stood the test of time ever since. Sachin Tendulkar pioneered the upper cut in cricket, and he stunned the world by including that effective shot in his arsenal. It is a shot played off an opposing pacer’s bouncer or short ball to guide it over the keeper’s head for a boundary. The Upper Cut is a strike designed to be launched in the air beyond the square on the opposing side of the playing surface. The Uppercut is an offensive stroke that ambitious batsmen use against pace bowlers. If not done right, it is a risky shot that might slice the ball to the keeper or slide. In modern cricket, the shot is commonly utilized.
The Upper Cut is typically used on shorter or back-of-a-length deliveries that are safe from the outside line closest to the off stump. The batsman requires some space to stretch their hands and stretch the blade to make the ball come into contact when playing the Upper Cut. When the ball is curved against the body, the Upper Cut becomes very challenging to execute.
One of Sachin Tendulkar’s trademark strokes was the Upper Cut. The batter initially demonstrated the stroke in South Africa in 2002 against the fast-paced Makhaya Ntini. Though Eddie Barlow developed the shot in the late 1950s, Tendulkar is widely regarded as its contemporary maestro. He stated it was an instinctive shot that he had not spent hours honing.
In explaining the reasoning behind the swing, the little master remembered his Upper Cut is quite instinctive. Although Ntini’s short-off-a-length bowling provided extra bounce, Sachin exploited the bounce and speed to get underneath it rather than on top. Tendulkar turned the ball into an aggressive option by actively taking advantage of the additional bounce.
Hence, like any other modern-day cricketing shot, the upper is a shot that relies on utilizing speed rather than exerting great force. The Upper Cut is used to get the ball above the keeper’s head.
Playing the Uppercut: Step by step.
Step 1: To remain in a balanced stance
Body balance is one of the most important aspects of batting. Body equilibrium is everything and is prevalent in every sport. A batter in a balanced stance needs a comfortable base that is neither too broad nor too narrow. Hold the bat at the outer edge of the bat while keeping focused and maintaining proper head position.
Step 2: Avoid the initial movement
This shot would need the batter remaining on the back foot and guiding the ball past the keeper’s head. An initial movement before the ball is delivered is unnecessary since it may result in the ball being overly large on the batter. The hitter must anticipate the bouncer and stand steady while keeping a watchful eye on the ball.
Step 3: Body adjustment and execution
To execute the shot, bend your back gently and hold your bat up. The goal of the Uppercut is to use the speed of the ball and guide it towards the boundary with the bat. This shot allows you to fully observe the ball as it travels through to the bat. You should make contact with the ball as it passes you. You aren’t required to smash the Uppercut as hard as you do with other shots to get the ball to the boundary. More power can be generated by slightly extending your wrists as the ball makes contact with the surface of the bat.
An uppercut cricket shot is typically hit whenever the ball is thrown with an extra oomph from the outside off stump. It’s a dangerous shot that, if not executed well, could lob the ball to the keeper or lead it to slip. The shot is widely employed in contemporary cricket. Since it works well on fast, bouncy pitches, the shot is prominent in Twenty20 cricket.
Batsmen should be aware that the bowlers might set a batter up by bowling a sequence of shorter deliveries that would inevitably force him to play the upper cut, which could result in him losing his wicket. A bowler might maintain a third man on the field and pack the backward leg side position, luring the batter to anticipate short deliveries. The Upper Cut differs from the square cut in that the shot is executed in various areas of the ground, the most evident of which is the exertion of pace. The square cut demands the batter to move quickly and puncture through the point region, whereas the higher cut differs. The Uppercut revolves around the batter, guiding the ball to the third-man region.
Simply put, a batter must remain stationary, observe the ball, and arch his back slightly to direct it over the keeper while taking advantage of the extra speed on the ball.