Dilip Vengsarkar offers valuable advice to Indian batsmen ahead of WTC Final: Don’t go for big drives

Virat Kohli's Indian Test team will take on New Zealand in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final at the Ageas Bowl from June 18 before facing England in a series of 5 Tests from August 4.

Cricketing great and former Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar offered some valuable suggestions to the Indian batsmen as they gear up to play 6 Tests in England starting later this month. Virat Kohli's Test side will take on New Zealand in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final at the Ageas Bowl from June 18 before facing England in a series of 5 Tests from August 4. Vengsarkar, who averaged nearly 43 in Test cricket in England during his playing career, warned the Indian batsmen against playing the big-booming drives outside off-stump against the moving ball and urged them to play with soft hands when they face the fast bowlers."The thing is that once you get acclimatized, the important factor is that, to counter the extra movement, especially off the wicket, it’s important to stay side-on (batting stance). Don’t go for big drives to start with because the ball moves quite a bit and if you go for a big drive when you see a half volley, you are likely to end up in slips or anywhere. So just push the ball rather than going for the big drives," Vengsarkar told Khaleej Times.