Top 5 classical shots executed to perfection by modern-day players

Over the years, we have been wowed by our favorite cricketers executing classical cricket shots in the most elegant fashion imaginable. The straight drive of Sachin Tendulkar, the cover drive of Sourav Ganguly and the square cut of Rahul Dravid redefined those shots and took their charm to another level.

The superstars of this generation have carried on the legacy of mesmerizing the spectators with such picture-perfect shots. Here is a list of the top five classical shots which are executed brilliantly by modern-day players.

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#5 Flick - Steve Smith

Steve Smith walks across the stumps as the bowler releases the ball, and flicks it nonchalantly off his pads for a four. That has become quite a familiar sight for bowlers when they bowl to Smith.

As he walks across, the bowler feels that he have a chance of hitting the pads and getting an LBW. But the bat invariably comes down in a flash and makes contact with the ball at the very last moment, before sending it hurtling along the turf and towards the boundary.

Smith can do this all day long, and the flick has become the trademark shot of the No. 1 Test batsman.

Smith is one of the most unorthodox batsmen in the world, and his batting evolution has been nothing short of miraculous. He doesn't focus on technique but relies on superb hand-eye coordination and impeccable shot selection to score mountains of runs all around the world.

And no shot embodies that disregard for technique better than the flick, which has been one of his most productive tools over the past few years.

#4 Inside out loft - Smriti Mandhana

We have seen Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina play the inside out loft over cover fielders regularly in the first half of this decade. But Smriti Mandhana has been playing it longer and more effectively than either of them.

Since this is a very challenging shot, very few players try to play it and even fewer succeed. But the elegant left-handed batswoman has got a real hold of the shot, which she plays regularly against pacers during the powerplay overs.

The inside-out loft is Mandhana's go-to shot to release the pressure of the dot balls, which invariably clears the infield with ease. She is a world-class player through the off-side but the inside out loft is what makes her even more stunning to watch.

#3 Square cut - Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson is a true ambassador of the gentleman's game. He is as old-school a batsman as you can get, with all the traditional shots in his arsenal. Williamson can play the power-packed pull as well as the glorious cover drive with equal ease.

But arguably no one plays the cut shot - especially the square cut - as well as he does.

The 29-year-old has been carrying the Kiwi batting on his shoulders the last few years and has turned them into a mighty force. He has made runs all around the world in the toughest of situations and against the toughest of bowlers.

Williamson is a tremendously gifted player, equally effective on both sides of the wicket. And the square cut is perhaps his most destructive tool, capable of demoralizing even the best of bowlers.

If Williamson sees a slightly short of full length delivery in his arc, he shifts the weight on to back-foot and plays the cut away from the point fielder to keep the scoreboard ticking. There's no real counter to this shot when Williamson is in full flow.

#2 Cover drive - Babar Azam and Virat Kohli

Babar Azam's cover drives are a thing of beauty

It is almost impossible to decide who plays the better cover drive in the game at the moment - Babar Azam or Virat Kohli. Both these players own all the conventional shots in cricket but there is no denying that their cover drives are what stand out.

When timed and placed to perfection, the shot seems to be the epitome of elegant batsmanship.

Both Azam and Kohli stay still at the crease with little feet movement as the bowler runs in. When they see the ball in the zone, they meet the ball under the eyes and let the bat follow through.

The biggest difference between Kohli's and Azam's cover drive is that Kohli checks the follow-through of his bat as the ball races away whereas Azam makes the full extension of the pose and finishes with a high elbow. Either way, the shot is one of those sights in cricket that you can never have enough of.

#1 Pull - Rohit Sharma

For a nation that often saw their batsmen being undone by the short ball, seeing one of their players pulling Australian pacers for sixes in their own backyard was a stunning sight. Rohit Sharma is from the modern breed of Indian batters who do not get intimidated by pace and bounce; rather, he takes up the challenge and hits monstrous sixes, both to the left and right of the square-leg umpire.

Rohit's pull shot is as destructive as it gets. He scores a good chunk of his runs against pacers through the pull shot, and is widely considered the best puller in the game at the moment.

There are delightful shots and there are destructive shots, but the pull shot of the 'Hitman' easily falls into both categories.