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[nirmal]

Hi Guys,
.             I just wanted to discuss a few things about Indian made cricket bats and their advantages and disadvantages,kindly feel free to discuss here.SG,SS,LARSONS,BAS VAMPIRE,ROBINSON SPORTS,HRS, etc

[adb club cricketer]

Here are few differences from my own experience:

1) Indian bats (talking from experience with SS, but it could be applied to many Indian made bats) have thick edges compared to UK bats at same weight
    I am guessing it is due to drier willow in SS bats
2) Indian made bats perform almost from the first game, or take very few games to start performing. UK bats depending on the manufacturer, take some playing in before they reach their peak. There are few bats/brands in Uk which perform good from start/take little time to open up as well.
3) Uk bats are more durable.
4) In past SS bats used to have meduim to thick handles but that seems to have changed recently as I see lot of recent SS bats with quite thin handles while most if not all UK bats have quite thin handles
5) SS bats have low sweet spot extending to middle of the bat, not very good up high, while UK bats mostly (not all) have sweetspot extending from middle to  high.
6) SS bats have round handles while most Uk bats have oval handles..


 

[liscon12]

It would appear that a few guys from England have commented on the poor craftsmanship of the handles when fitted to the blade when it comes to Indian made bats. Not every bat or every manufacturer is guilty of this but there are some bats which have been inspected show signs of filler being used to help disguise the fact the handle has been poorly fitted. I would say bats made from Asia are no worse than the ones made in the UK or AUS, its just the quality of the work in some instances appears to be sub-par.

See video from Paul Aldred https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-81Z9bTwd8

[nirmal]

I've been playing cricket for the last 17 years.I can say of all the Indian bat Manufacturers,BAS Vampire is the best,when it comes to durability,balance,pick up and quality.The only thing that I'm not happy is the kind of grains that they provide for top end bats too.Otherwise awesome.

[adb club cricketer]

To add,

Customer service of UK shops is several notches higher than Indian shops (in general, there are exceptions on both sides). Very difficult to find Indian bats lower than 2-9 or with some changes to stock shape/oval handle etc..

[nirmal]

I agree club cricketer.I have a Bradbury retro sterling,I can see the difference.

[JK Lewis]

In my experience, Indian bats go like trains straight out the packaging, but they don't last as well as their English counterparts. Possibly the willow is too dry? One of the bats I had - unbranded, direct from India - was great for a few knocks, but then relatively large strips started to flake off. I can't say all my English bats have been perfect, but usually they just start to crack on the surface after a while.

[jd163]

The major difference in my opinion is the moisture content. Asian bats are more dried compared to UK made bats. All my UK made bats survived much longer than my India/Pak made bats. The upside with Asian made bats is you get a bigger size bat for less weight when compared to similar size UK made.
 

[nirmal]

Over dried as well as bleached initially ping will be excellent.You can see dent marks even after knocked in after a few matches played.

[edge]

These days, advantages - good value, often good performers too. Disadvantages - if you don't like duckbill shapes with thin round handles, difficult to find an Indian made stick you'll get on with!

[Gurujames]

Agree with the above but add:

Disadvantages: numerous fakes about, too many garish stickers.

[Yorkershire]

Are we including bats made for bigger English, Australian companies in India in this?
Pakistani companies?

Can't comment on Indian bats as I have never had one...

Because of many companies making their bats in Asia now there's very little difference...

I'd say the quality control is a little more suspect and that's about it...  (I am not including small boutique manufacturers in this).

'Oh When I were a lad...' around early 90's I received a CA bat from family in Pakistan and nearly all my 'English' (lets not get into race here but you know what I mean ) teammates just thought the curve and thick edges (no con-caving back then)  looked stupid, there was an almost arrogance that the bat was inferior... friends had some very traditional shapes, some guy had a Kook ridgeback... all straight blades... at the time I even thought maybe they are right as I have always liked oval handles and Asian bats tended to be round.

I now find it interesting that nearly all the modern shapes are curved with thick edges... Although the irony is as I have matured I prefer bats that I am comfortable with and am not really fussed about thick edges. Okay I am going off on a tangent..

Anyway I think without going into the factors that affect developing countries... it's the quality control.

I know if your English willow bat cost you almost 3 months salary ... You would just be grateful to have a bat and not be fussed with niggles. Many kids in Pakistan and India cannot afford top end English willow bats.

So Asian manufacturers are used to an internal market where people are grateful for an English willow bat. When they export they are not always prepared for or understand western audiences. Using Pakistan as an example I would say only CA has really understood the quality that western customers expect. Over the years the company that I think should have stepped up but never has is Ihsan. I think Indian companies are adapting way better due to their contracts for the large brands.

Apologies if I have rambled off...
 

[Seniorplayer]

I think Uk made bats generally last longer and play better over a longer period.

[i12breakfree]

These days UK brands using their brand name and putting stickers on Indian made bats. So what bat comes from where can be a mystery.

Handle Shape, moisture content are some of the key differences. Rest all is upto the batmaker. You can get some super soft bats like from SF etc but then again BAS/RS pressing is top notch. So at the end of the day depends on a particular bat.

[ca_gold]

Have to agree with i12breakfree. These days Indian bats are some of the best around, but you have to look around and do a little research. don't just blindly run to OLS for every purchase. go direct to the manufacturer  otherwise one of their trusted retailers who will share pics with you before purchasing. You can find exactly what it is your looking for, even if that means a thicker semi oval handle.

It may be of interest to some here, but it is worth browsing through JS Wrights facebook page. They did a recent trip to India and posted pics with all their customers. You will learn about brands that are never mentioned here. They are the boutiques (relatively) in the Indian market. Have a chat with a couple and you will see they are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their brands.