If college taught me one thing about classrooms, it’s this- the further you’re sitting from your teacher, the more likely you can play PUBG in the back of the class while the others try their best not to fall off their chair bored to death. Thinking retrospectively, if I really did put that competitive side of mine to use, the world wouldn’t be as it is today. Every cricket batter must have the same mentality going into practice, and every coach should instill this mentality during practice. Honing this from the get-go will take you to levels that your cricketing heroes can only dream of.
We talked to the legendary Australian powerhouse batter Greg Chappell about competitive environments in the sport, how you should train for it, and how important it is to improve your overall batting performances on the pitch.
Also Read : Mastering Cricket’s Mental Game: Greg Chappell’s Insights
“The bowler obviously initiates the action, the batsman reacts to what happens. But the bowler also has to make decisions when he reacts to what the batsman's done to maybe his best delivery. So the more often they're put into a competitive situation in a training environment, the more likely it is that they're going to progress because their mental skills will develop,” says our Aussie coach. Basically, don’t let your decision making be worse than when the Red Devils spent 100 million pounds, the equivalent of 50 million Zomato orders, on a solitary Brazilian trickster. The more often you are put into competitive situations in a training environment, the more likely it is that your mental skills will develop, and your decision making skills will look like a chiseled Greek statue. During net practice with bowlers, put yourself in a game situation, considering field placements, and judge how well you respond to each delivery. At the end of a session, if you can honestly say you reacted appropriately to every ball bowled, it was a great session.
Try not to train in competitive situations all the time, though. I know it goes without saying, but you never know. If you don’t learn to bat under pressure, you’ll never get better. Cricket also includes the aspects that don’t make it to the front page, and they’re equally important to the sport- like running between the wickets and fielding. Players and coaches alike need to have a competitive mindset. As the batter you should have the skills to put yourself in competitive situations during practice, and as the coach you need to put your players in cut-throat scenarios that can help the batters develop that skill. Just hitting and bowling balls are just the battle, the war isn’t over.
Bottom line? Cricket's not just about swinging bats and hurling balls. It's about leveling up your mental game faster than you upgrade your smartphone. Treat each practice like you're in the finals of a mega esports tournament - high stakes, quick thinking, and no room for lag. Mix up your training routine more than your playlist, and soon you'll be dropping jaws on the pitch. With the right mindset, you could be the next viral sensation - but in whites, not on reels.
