Babar Azam's drive, Rahul Dravid's defence and other signature cricket shots – in pictures

Which batsmen played the pull, drive and sweep better that the rest?

Sachin Tendulkar - straight drive. India's legendary batsman is the most prolific run-scorer in history. He also was the master when it came to the straight drive. A heavy bat, classic technique and ample flair came together to execute a drive down the ground that can be watched on loop endlessly. AFP

Babar Azam - cover drive. The Pakistan batsman is on his way to becoming the best ever from his country. He has every shot in the book, the best being the drive through the covers which is topped off by a punch that tells the bowler who is the boss. Getty

Viv Richards - cut. The Caribbean king quite simply had the most ferocious cut shot the game has seen. Remember, he did not have the advantage of modern bats off which the ball flies. It was pure power, and nothing else. Getty

Virender Sehwag - upper cut. The Indian opener pioneered the art of using the pace of the bowler and taking the fielders and outfield out of the equation. His cuts over the point region invariably landed in the stands, even at the biggest grounds in the world. Getty

Matthew Hayden - pull shot. There have been many batsmen who played the pull shot with control. But none could physically dominate like Hayden. The Australian batsman would routinely play the pull shot off the front foot, even against the genuinely quick bowlers. It was demoralising for the bowler and opposition. Getty

Adam Gilchrist - sweep. The Australian wicketkeeper batsman had a sweep shot for every occasion. Strong wrists and a huge reach meant he could sweep against any spinner and any length. Getty

Rahul Dravid - forward defence. Eyes on the ball, a straight bat and the ball dropping right at the feet. The India batsman had a forward defence right out of the text book. There was a reason why he was called 'The Wall'. AFP

Kevin Pietersen - switch hit. An audacious stroke that mesmerised fans and infuriated bowlers. Switching his stance and changing his grip, Pietersen would transform into a left-handed batsman to ruin the set plan and field. Deemed a legitimate stroke by the MCC, by the way. Getty

Brendon McCullum - scoop. The New Zealand batsman led the way for modern batting - audacious strokeplay all around the ground from the start. His scoop against fast bowlers was as much a testament to his bravery as it was to his ability to gauge the line of the ball. Getty

Kane Williamson - the nudge. It is the most under appreciated stroke in cricket. During the 2019 World Cup, the Kiwi captain showed the value of playing inside the line of the ball and guiding it behind the wicket on pitches where the ball was doing all sorts. Getty

Who is the best batsman in the world? Difficult to say, isn't it.

There are so many factors that come into play – technique, record, impact, aesthetics, era, etc – that is impossible to reach a consensus.

But if we break down batting, we can try to gauge which batsman executed a particular shot better than any other.

Admittedly, it is not possible to go back 70-100 years and see which batsman played the best pull or drive; we can properly analyse only the modern batsmen as we have sufficient video evidence of their game.

Keeping that in mind, we have tried to ascertain which batsman played a particular stroke the best. Above is a picture gallery showing them executing the strokes.

To view the next image in the gallery, click on the arrows or if you are viewing it on a mobile device, just swipe.