Forward Defence

Beginnerbatting

Relaxed, balanced, eyes level.

The foundation of every innings. Head over the ball, soft hands, bat close to the pad.

Key points

•Head over the front knee
•Soft, close hands
•Stay still at the finish

Practice with Coach Rohan

Camera setup tips

· Place the camera side-on to you, 2 to 3 metres away.
· Keep your whole body in frame, head to feet.
· Phone on a tripod or a laptop webcam both work.
· Perform the movement, pause, repeat. Your coach speaks every 15 seconds.

Theory & Technique

The forward defence is the first shot every batter must learn. It is not glamorous, but it is the foundation of every long innings. The idea is simple: get your head over the ball, present the full face of the bat, and smother the ball into the ground with soft hands. Your front foot strides to the pitch of the ball, your head leads the movement, and your hands stay relaxed so the ball dies on the bat rather than carrying to a fielder. The bat should finish close to the front pad, angled slightly downward. If you can defend well, you can bat all day.

Fun Fact

Rahul Dravid, known as 'The Wall', once batted for over 12 hours in a single Test innings using predominantly the forward defence. He faced 740 balls in that knock — the most by any Indian in Test history!

Watch the real thing

Learn from real coaches first. Your live scoring compares you to the reference figure above; these videos are for learning, and stay with their creators on YouTube.