HOW RORY’S TECHNIQUE IS DISMALLY FLAWED

THE big three on Australian TV for the start of this iconic series were Shane Warne, Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist — and after the first ball they were chuckling! Warne went into overdrive, saying Mitchell Starc’s delivery to Rory Burns was just a leg-stump half-volley and it should have been a case of ‘thank you very much’. It was difficult to disagree. It was a four-ball! An off-the-mark ball! Shane also said it was the worst ball of the first over and it was difficult to disagree with that as well. I said before I have never seen anyone with a set-up like Burns at the highest level and this was the perfect demonstration of why none of the great and good of Test cricket have ever batted this way before. We all know the ball crashed into leg-stump from a very full length but the first thing that happened was Burns’ right foot flew towards cover point before the moment of delivery. From there you have to be a contortionist to get back on track. And with Starc bowling at 90mph there’s no time to get that foot back. As a left-hander your lead foot has to be roughly in line with the ball. And with a full delivery like that, Burns just needed to stand still and clip it. But it was as if he had no control over that front foot. I don’t even think Starc was aiming to bowl him, just trying to pitch it up and get it straight. The one rule Burns has to follow is that his head must lead. And it must lead towards the ball. Once you start going outside offstump you can’t access it. It’s just impossible.

BT SPORT RORY BURNS’ front foot steps towards cover (1) as the ball is bowled, so he is all out of line with his head not going towards the ball (2). His bat is now unable to get round his front pad (3) to hit the ball. He’s gone so far across to the offside his leg stump is exposed (4) — and he is duly bowled. On the right is how the shot should be played with head, foot and ball in line — and the bat coming through straighter.