I am a lefthander and would like to improve my offside play. How does one go about it?

(Sakt Mehrotra, 10, Calcutta-55)

A lot of practice at the nets with deliveries that encourage you to play in that region. Also, check your grip so that you don’t have a problem playing shots.

I am a righthander and often face difficulty when a bowler is coming round the wicket. Why does this happen?

(Sourav De, 14, Howrah)

You might be too side-on in your stance. Open up your stance a bit so that you get a better view of the ball leaving the bowler’s hand. It will be the same when you’re facing a leftarmer bowling over the wicket.

I am a righthanded batsman and often get caught behind or in the slips while attempting the square drive. Please help?

(Bajrang Lal Lunawat, 18, Bongaigaon)

It’s a difficult shot to play. While executing, make sure your weight goes into the shot so that your balance is better

I am a right-arm medium pacer and use my shoulder a lot in a bid to generate pace. Is it okay?

(Manish Rai, 16, Gangtok)

There’s nothing wrong in it, though, a solid allround action will take a lot of pressure off your shoulder, thereby making the action more rhythmic.

I am a righthanded batsman and usually get caught in the slip when trying to fend a rising delivery. How can I avoid it?

(Dhiman Chakraborty, 18, Purulia)

You are obviously playing with bat away from the body and hence not offering the full face of the bat. It’s also important that you get into line of the ball.

I am a righthanded batsman. When I play and miss a few deliveries I get nervous which finally results in my dismissal a few balls later. Why does this happen?

(Vishal Pareek, 15, Belur)

That’s why concentration is so important. You’ve got to forget about the past and take one ball at a time.

How does a batsman tackle reverse swing?

(Sayantan Biswas, 17, Calcutta-29)

Swing or reverse swing, the basics are the same. You’ve got to watch the ball coming out of the bowler’s hand and not commit yourself into a shot when the ball is swinging. Don’t try and hit too hard early in your innings.

I am a righthander and often misjudge the length when attempting a square cut. Please advise.

(Abhijit Medhi, 14, Tezpur)

Again you’ve got to watch the ball closely and make sure you play off the back foot when attempting the shot. Plus you must attempt the shot against balls which have width on offer.

I am a righthander and often get bowled when playing against a leg spinner. Please help.

(Abhisek Bora, 15)

You’re not getting close enough to the pitch of the ball. Hence you are not able to smother the spin.

What is the best way to improve reflexes when keeping wickets?

(Shreyas Grover, 13, Calcutta-34)

Stick to the basics. A lot of stretching, flexibility-building exercises and also concentrating on speed work (like sprints and side movements) will help.