I am a right-handed batsman. I often get out to slower ones while trying to put it over the top. Please help.

(Abhijit Medhi, 17, Assam)

Watch the ball and don’t hurry into your shot.

I am a right-handed batsman. I often fail to choose the right ball for the cut. Please help.

(Vivek Kedia, 17, Howrah)

It has to be a delivery that is short and wide so that you have a chance to get back and across and free your arms.

I am a right-arm mediumpacer. Please advise me on some physical drills to improve my pace.

(Vishal Chawla, 19, Howrah)

Lots of running backed up by proper weight training under a qualified trainer.

Can swing be developed through practice or is it inborn?

(Debashish Palit, 16, Calcutta)

Of course it can be developed with practice. It needs a good action and a proper grip so that you have a good wrist action.

I often misjudge high catches. I get beneath the ball but then somehow fail to hold onto it. Please help.

(Rohit Paul, 19, calcutta-14)

Make sure you are properly balanced and don’t take the eyes off the ball till the last minute.

I am a right-arm mediumpacer and often change my action to suit my needs. Can it pose problems to my bowling?

(Siddharth Banerjee, 16, Siliguri

The one quality a good bowler has is a good, solid action. So don’t meddle with your action too much.

I am a right-handed batsman. How does one play the googly and identify it when coming out of the bowler’s hand?

(Ratan Sen, 16, Calcutta-42)

Watch the bowler’s hand closely. You will have the bowler’s wrist facing you as the ball comes out of the hand for the googly.

What is the right way to play the cover drive. What should be the position of the feet?

(Somen Dhar, 16, Kharagpur)

Feet close to the pitch of the ball and your toe pointing to the cover region where you intend the ball to go.

I am a right-handed batsman. I always fail to read my off-stump while facing fast bowlers. Please help.

(Soham Sengupta, 19, Calcutta)

Take a proper guard so that you know where you are standing in relation to the stumps.

I am a mediumpacer. How does one bowl on a flat wicket?

(Debarshi Roy, 22, Calcutta-19)

On a flat wicket, patience and accuracy is the key. Ideally you got to be bowling a good off stump line.