Explosive opener Shafali Verma believes that keeping the game plan simple is the best way for India to get the better of Australia in their must-win Women’s T20 World Cup clash.
The Sunday’s two matches will decide the semifinal lineup from Group A, with South Africa (six points) taking on Bangladesh (four) before India (six) face unbeaten Australia (eight).
If South Africa defeat Bangladesh, India will have to beat Australia to qualify for the last four. The Aussies can progress even after a defeat because of their eight points and a vastly superior net run rate.
“Everyone knows Australia are a world-class team. But it’s not like we haven’t beaten them before. We recently beat them in a T20 series in Australia, and that gives us confidence," Shafali said on JioStar’s ‘Adidas Match Centre Live’.
India had beaten Australia 2-1 in a three-match T20I series in the lead-up to the World Cup and Shafali feels familiarity with their opponents will help Harmanpreet Kaur’s side.
“We have been playing against them for years now. We know their bowlers, their strengths, and their plans. So, we will keep things straightforward, which is important, and back our own strengths. The more you overthink, the harder it gets."
Shafali has rediscovered her touch after changing her approach following the match against Pakistan.
The aggressive opener, who has two fifties in the last three innings, admitted she was guilty of overthinking early in the tournament before deciding to trust her instincts.
“A lot of things have improved in my batting. Before the Pakistan match, I was overthinking. I was planning too much, how I would play the first ball, what shot I would play off the second ball," she said.
“But after that game, I realised that I don’t need to complicate things. I just need to keep it simple. When I bat, I watch the ball and react. I don’t plan too far ahead. That has helped me score runs more freely.
“Because of that change, I think I am getting good scores now. I am not putting too much pressure on myself. I will try to continue this approach in the must-win game against Australia as well."
The opener said learning to rotate strike instead of searching for boundaries every ball has been another important lesson.
“If my shots are not coming off, I don’t force them. I take singles and keep the scoreboard moving. I think batting is all about not complicating things. Keep it simple, take singles, rotate the strike, and play along the ground when needed.
“If the ball is in my hitting zone, I go for it. Otherwise, I respect the good deliveries and look for ones and twos. That is the approach I have learned over time. Don’t try to hit every ball. Stay calm, watch the ball, and react. Whatever I have learned so far, this is what I have understood." Shafali with new ball
Apart from her batting, Shafali has also played an important role with the ball.
The part-time off-spinner has bowled with the new ball in recent matches and returned figures of 1/22 against South Africa, including the key wicket of Tazmin Brits.
Earlier, she had claimed an impressive 3/20 against the Netherlands.
Shafali credited skipper Harmanpreet for clearly defining her role.
“Harman di has kept my role very clear. She told me that I will have to bowl in the powerplay. So, I work on that in the nets as well. I bowl with the new ball, focus on hitting the right areas, and try to keep the ball around the stumps.
“As an opener, I know that if you bowl outside the stumps, you give the batter room to score. So, I always try to bowl according to what I would expect as an opener, what line and length would trouble me. I bowl keeping that in mind; tight lines, stump-to-stump, and making the batter work for runs," she said.
Fielding blues
India’s fielding has been a major concern in the tournament, with dropped catches threatening to derail their campaign. However, Shafali backed her teammates, insisting the mistakes were not due to a lack of preparation.
“Everyone is thinking of giving their 100 per cent. No one is dropping catches or misfielding on purpose. Sometimes it’s just not your day, the ball doesn’t stick, the timing is off, or the bounce surprises you.
“But we always back the player who is having a tough day, both on and off the field. Our preparation has been good. We had two days of practice before this match against Bangladesh. We did fielding drills together as a team, half an hour of focused catching and ground fielding.
“So, I will not say that we are not preparing well. We are doing everything we can. It’s just about the day. Some days things click, some days they don’t. That’s part of the game," she signed off.
