ICC Women’s WC: Shafali Verma vows to keep it simple against Australia

India opener Shafali Verma says simplifying her batting approach has helped her score consistently ahead of the must-win ICC Women's World Cup clash against Australia. She also backed India's fielding preparations and credited captain Harmanpreet Kaur for clearly defining her bowling role.

Hyderabad: India’s hard-hitting opener Shafali says a lot of things have improved in her batting.

Speaking on JioStar special show ahead of the big clash against Australia in the ICC Women’s World Cup in UK, Shafali said: “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. But after that game, I realised that I don’t need to complicate things. I just need to keep it simple.”

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“ 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,” she said.

On the key lessons she has learned since the Pakistan game, Shafali said: “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,” she said.

On how Captain Harmanpreet Kaur has helped her understand her role with the ball, Shafali said: “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.

On dropped catches, Shafali said: “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 said.

On the must-win game against Australia, Shafali said: “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. 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.”