With 96 on debut, Shafali Verma strides into Test cricket

On her Test debut, Shafali Verma lit up Bristol. A 152-ball 96, with 13 fours and two sixes, enhanced her repute as a batting marauder after England Women declared their first innings on 396/9 within the one-off Test.
Despite being a newcomer at this stage, Shafali’s stroke-play had been broadly talked about, coming into this sport. Through fearless cricket, the 17-year-old lived as much as her repute.
“I am really looking forward to how Shafali plays. She is a match-winner. I only hope they don’t tinker with her game. She is a natural player. I don’t normally like comparing men and women cricketers, but she is someone in the (Virender) Sehwag mould,” former India Women captain Diana Edulji advised this paper on the eve of the Test.
Edulji was speaking in regards to the constructive impression that Shafali’s proactive batting creates. India Women have been up in opposition to a fairly large rating. The teenager’s impact-batting allowed the vacationers to place England Women underneath strain.
India Women have been taking part in a Test after a spot of seven years. Little surprise then that this was Shafali’s maiden five-day fixture, though she has already performed 22 WT20Is. Her 148-plus strike-rate within the shortest format spoke volumes for her hitting expertise. But Test cricket was a special ball sport, a take a look at of her method and temperament in English circumstances. Shafali handed with flying colors.
India’s Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma throughout the drink’s break. (Reuters)
“Like any player who gets out in 90s, I was also disappointed. But next time I will not miss the hundred. When playing international cricket, I never think how old I am, I only think how I can contribute to the team,” Shafali mentioned on the post-day press convention.
Shafali’s father Sanjeev didn’t thoughts her daughter lacking the hundred. “I wasn’t tense. Ahead of the Test, when I spoke to Shafali, I told her that she has to play for the country. I am happy that she played well. I am not disappointed that she didn’t score a century,” Sanjeev advised The Indian Express.
She went to England just a little undercooked. “With so much cricket scheduled over the next three months, I would have liked to practice at my coach Ashwani sir’s academy. I miss the nets session. But given the current situation (pandemic and lockdown), this is the best that I could have done,” Shafali had mentioned throughout an interplay with this paper final month.
She was compelled to improvise her coaching. In her lounge at Rohtak’s Sunaar Gully, Shafali’s batting follow was restricted to knocking a dangling leather-based ball earlier than doing bodily conditioning. Her exploits in white-ball cricket has already helped her earn a contract for the inaugural version of The Hundred with Birmingham Phoenix. Her glorious begin in red-ball cricket will add an additional dimension to her sport.
During her innings on Thursday, Shahafi was sensible past her years. She was circumspect to start out with, respecting the event and England Women’s bowling. Only after tea, did she begin taking part in some extravagant photographs. Smriti Mandhana’s (78) composure on the different finish helped. Together the 2 openers placed on 167 runs earlier than Shahafi was dismissed.
“I and Smriti would build a partnership and we supported each other and decided to play our natural game. We had a laugh during the partnership. We had decided that we would hit loose balls but there were a few full-tosses that we missed so we were laughing,” mentioned Shafali.

Aggression comes naturally to the teenager. Actually, Shahafi has been taught to be aggressive whereas taking part in cricket. “I told Shafali, it is very simple. If you smash a reputed bowler you will make a name for yourself,” her father advised this paper final 12 months. Shahafi revels in taking the assault to the opposition. “Growing up my father would tell me and my brother that whoever hits more sixes will get Rs 10 or 15,” she mentioned on the finish of the day’s play.
It wasn’t at all times plain crusing. Far from it. Five years in the past, Sanjeev had misplaced his total life’s financial savings of Rs 7.5 lakh to a swindler. With simply Rs 280 in his pockets, Shahafi’s cricket future appeared unsure. But as her father mentioned right now: “She was destined to be a cricketer.”