The On Drive in Cricket Explained
The on drive is a front-foot attacking shot played through the leg side, between mid-on and mid-wicket. It is one of the hardest strokes to execute correctly — and one of the most satisfying when it comes off.
The on drive is a front-foot attacking stroke played to a full-pitched delivery on middle or leg stump — directed through the on (leg) side, between mid-on and mid-wicket. It is technically the most demanding of the front-foot drives because it requires the batter to play across their body, ensuring the bat face is angled correctly without the stroke becoming a flick or a slog.
How is the on drive played?
The batter strides forward and across to the ball, with the front foot pointed slightly toward mid-on. The bat comes through straight, and the wrists rotate slightly at impact to direct the ball through the on side. The high elbow remains important — perhaps more so than in the off drive — because dropping the elbow causes the bat face to roll over the ball, producing a leading edge or a top edge. The follow-through finishes to the left of the body (for a right-hander).
On drive vs flick
The flick is played off the back foot (or a planted front foot) to a ball coming into the body — wrist-dominant, quick, and instinctive. The on drive is a more deliberate, front-foot stroke to a fuller ball. Both go to the leg side, but the on drive has more power from the body and requires more precise footwork, while the flick relies on wrist rotation and timing.
Why is it difficult?
Bowlers deliberately target leg stump to make the on drive more difficult — the ball angle forces the batter to play across the line, increasing lbw and top-edge risks. Many bowlers regard a full ball on middle stump as the ideal length to take the on drive away from the batter. The stroke also requires excellent timing: too early and the ball squirts to square leg; too late and it clips the pad.