5 greatest players of the straight drive

4 Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting

The former Australian captain is rightly regarded as one of the finest batsmen to play for the country and indeed, one of the best in the world. Arguably, he is Australia's greatest batsman after Bradman.

Ponting was a batsman who was often impossible to contain, and that was primarily because of the sheer range of strokes that he possessed.

Although the hook and the pull became his most celebrated shots, it should not be forgotten that he was easily among the best exponents of the straight drive and he did it superbly during his 17-year long career (1995-2012).

The right-hander was extremely quick at assessing the length of most deliveries and although his bat may have come down at an angle, yet when he met the ball, it used to come down straight. When he got it absolutely right, there was no better sight in cricket and due to his gift with timing, the ball rocketed past the bowler on most occasions.