Philosophy of batting: To attack or to defend?

They say batting is an art which does not come easily to all the cricket players. Talent is necessary, but not enough to succeed at the international level. It requires something extra in terms of virtue, temperament, and method. Behind all these traits lies a philosophical thought which every batsman brings with himself.

The fans and audiences ultimately love the expression of the philosophical thought in the way the batsmen approach the game. There are two basic approaches to any game, and cricket is no different. One is to attack, and the other one is to defend.

Attacking philosophy

The batsmen who show this particular trait, approach the game with one of the two thought processes. One thought process is to dominate the opposition and win the game; other is to showcase individual machismo. Both of them may or may not yield the same result, but their manifestation is very clear to the spectators.

The batsmen who try to dominate the bowlers so that they can win the game for their team are ruthless, brutal and yet unselfish. They see the larger picture and approach the game keeping in mind the ultimate goal. Players like Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and others belonged to this category. They attacked so that the team won. For them, they were a means to an end.

Defensive philosophy

The players who belong to this category have two variations. One who know their capability but limit their stroke-play for the larger cause. The others are naturally defensive and do not have much in their arsenal.

Rahul Dravid is the epitome of the defensive approach to batting

Those who are capable but choose to play defensively are composed, calm, and 'in the zone.' They are the saviours, and the entire team looks forward to his performance. Players like Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, and others belonged to this category. They had all the strokes in their kitty, but they knew their role and performed within the boundaries of that role. Gavaskar played hook and pull shots early in his career, but gave it to protect his team from defeat, in case he got out early playing those shots.

The other ones who are naturally defensive are limited by their abilities and skills. They know a 'reverse-sweep' or a 'late-cut' is not their cup of tea, hence should never be attempted. They play the role of sheet anchor in the team. You are likely to see tail-enders employ this approach.

Both the philosophies are required in cricket because of their importance at different times in the game. The fans and cricket experts take cognizance of each role, while the team management makes selection keeping all the above traits in mind.