If a batter makes you say “Boy! It’s a treat to watch him play!”, he will possibly be an exquisite timer of the ball. Of course, hammering the ball is more of an entertainment but, watching it race away from the meat of the bat signifies beauty. England Cricket has produced a lot of talented and consistent batsmen. But regardless, if I have to choose the best driver of the ball I have ever witnessed, I don’t usually have to do much pondering.
Whenever a discussion about the best drivers of the ball arises, many names pop up among arguments and bickering. In most situations they are Virat Kohli, Kumar Sangakkara or Babar Azam. But the name Ian Ronald Bell does not seem to hover around much, in spite of the class he displays. Bell is one among the only 12 English batters with 7000 or more runs in test cricket.
When Bell unfurls his trademark cover drive, we should slow down and savor every second of it. Because each nuance of the shot is enjoyable in its own way. His technique couldn’t be more orthodox like a lot of batters in the international scene. But what makes Bell a much better sight to behold is his mindset to not try too hard.
Let’s dive into Bell’s fundamentals of batting. As shown in the above picture, he maintains a very stable and relaxed posture. He keeps the head upright; bat is tilted towards the wicket keeper and the left shoulder is pointing down the wicket. All of these aspects reflect a perfectly balanced batting stance. He moves around before and after playing the shot with a constantly smooth body language. Unlike a lot of other batters, his bat is always pointed towards the wicket keeper, which eliminates the risk of the ball sneaking in between the bat and pad.
One of the things which make the English batter an elegant sight is his mindset to go easy on the ball. His shots embodied timing rather than power. When we analyze Bell’s body language after the shot execution, it’s obvious he does not stress much on the follow-through either. “In 4-day matches, I focused on timing the ball rather than overhitting. The best method is playing the ball late right under the eyes. The stride during the shot doesn’t have to be massive. It should be whatever we are comfortable with. I, however, focus on a short one.” These were Bell’s words during a batting masterclass.
Bell scored runs by not expressing hunger for runs. He once said he mostly attempts to hit the ball for two runs rather than intending to score big. It is one of the reasons that make him such a treat to the eyes. When the other reasons are taken to into account, we can include his immaculate footwork, relaxed and stable stance etc. The nonchalant and complete attention to basics makes him an inspiration to batters who nick it to the keeper often with reckless technique. When Bell wields the willow, we can a see a stream with graceful flow. Too bad his name doesn’t pop up more often.
