SOUND BATTING STYLE

Evening Star, Issue 21231, 12 October 1932, Page 10

SOUND BATTING STYLE

HAWAB OF PATAUDI BRILLIANT OFF-SIDE STROKE When the Nawab of Pataudi set up a new record by scoring 238 net out in an interuniversity cricket match he was at once acclaimed by those who fawn upon success, and said to be a marvel and another Bradman (wrote, a day or two after Pataudi had scored a brilliant century for Gentlemen against Players, a special correspondent of the London ‘ Observer,’ in an article which is made all the more interesting by the fact that Pataudi is in the M.C.C. team for Australia). This season he has been qualifying for Worcestershire, and has not been able to get much first-class cricket. So he was forgotten by some; until lie was chosen for the Gentlemen v. Players match at Lord’s.

Pataudi had now to face comparisons more difficult than he had to face in the inter-’varsity match last year. In the Players’ first innings W. 11. Hammond made a century worthy of A. C. MacLaren or Victor Trumper, and when Pataudi came in to bat, K. S. Duleepsinhji had settled down and was scoring freely. Indeed, so dangerously did Duleepsinhji live that Pataudi was constrained to play for safety. But his innings of 165, which started quietly and defensively, finished in a blaze of glory. Duleepsinhji had shown himself brilliant but unsound—he was fittingly out to a poor stroke—but at no time did he score at the rate of a hundred an hour.

After Pataudi had reached his hundred and had been given his captain’s permission to let fiy, he drove and hit so bravely that his last 65 runs came in 35min. For one crowded hour of glorious life liis bat made a joyful noise, and the crack of the ball against the railings was echoed by the clapping of 10,000 pairs of hands. At last he skied a ball from his old master, F. E. Woolley, and was caught and bowled. “ An excellent end to an excellent innings,” as C. G. Macartney once said. Pataudi’s style is modest—boyish even, when compared with Hammond’s mature excellence—but it is sound; it inspires confidence. His stance at the wicket shows that he is the pupil of Woolley, and _ his bat-lift is ' verystraight. He is reasonably forward in style, and can already be called the most rational of the great Indian batsmen. C. K. Naidu is at times brilliantly perverse, and impulse often goyern’s Duleepsinhji’s skill, but Pataudi is dependable, as Hobbs and Sutcliffe used to be dependable. His temperament is more placid than Dulsepsinhji’s ; you will not see Pataudi in the field suddenly fling his arms on high at the sight of a ball mis-hit, nor -will vou find him flashing a reckless bat in his j first hour at the wickets.

Dnleepsinhji jumps out to drive catastrophically, like a jack-in-the-box. Pataudi dances, almost glides out. His footwork is correct and quick, but it does not yet stand comparison with Bradman’s. He does not get light backon his wicket to hit the short ball a ringing hang, nor has he so much time to spare in his hack-strokes as HamBut at least his feet do not, like E. Hendren’s, run away with him and land him in trouble. He late cuts charmingly- when he allows himself to forget that in cutting you leave the off stump open to a break-back. Duleepsinhji, by contrast, often leaves his whole wicket open, cutting fast-footed, merely sagging a little at'tbe knees as he makes his wristy flick. Pataudi is modern enough to be quite at ease with W. Voce and his leg-trap, and he makes plenty of runs on the leg side by stylish strokes. He was equally sound with A. P. Freeman, meeting the ball confidently with a forward stroke, unless it were short of a length and placing any short for runs. Great batsmen have each some particular stroke which they invest with their own personality; Pataudi’s is the off-drive. He hit some twenty boundaries against the Players, and twelve of them were off-drives. Woolley has taught him how to lean on the' hall, playing foiward with careless ease, vet snapping the wrists into the stroke, Pataudi showed that no great strength or effort was necessary to bang the ball ( against the railings at Lord’s, given a good style and perfect timing. His drives sped enchantingly- over the green turf. There was never a question of their being stopped or saved, for he placed them beautifully, clear of cover and extra-cover, and they carried far too much speed to be cut off' in the deep-Held. The Nawab of Pataudi is too young i to be compared with Ranjitsinliji and I other great batsmen—he is twenty- I two—but there are many who say that j he is a better bat than Banjitsinhji I was at the same age.

A chimney lire in Wain’s Hotel was attended to by the City Kire Brigade fit 1.39 this afternoon. There was no damage. Cady Motorist (who has swerved into cyclist): “ J’m awfully sorry, but it really_ wasn’t my fault. 1 put out my hand. - ’ Gallant Irishman: “ t-urc. mo darlin’. ’tis your hand that's so small .1 didn't see it at all.”