Indian opener Shafali Verma has emphasized that a straightforward game plan is India's best chance to defeat Australia in their crucial Women's T20 World Cup group stage encounter on Sunday. The match at the Group A finale will determine the semifinal lineup, with India currently on six points, level with South Africa, while Australia lead the group with eight points and a superior net run rate.
Group A Semifinal Scenarios
Sunday's doubleheader will decide the semifinalists from Group A. South Africa (six points) face Bangladesh (four points) before India (six points) take on unbeaten Australia (eight points). If South Africa beat Bangladesh, India must defeat Australia to advance. Australia can qualify even with a loss due to their higher points tally and significantly better 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 ahead of the World Cup.
Familiarity with Australia
Shafali highlighted that familiarity with the Australian players will aid India's preparation. "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," she added.
Shafali's Return to Form
The aggressive opener has rediscovered her touch after changing her approach following the match against Pakistan. She has scored two fifties in her last three innings, attributing the turnaround to simplifying her mindset. "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 explained. "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."
Shafali noted that learning to rotate strike instead of seeking boundaries every ball has been crucial. "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," she said.
Bowling Contributions with the New Ball
Beyond batting, Shafali has played a key role with the ball as a part-time off-spinner. She bowled with the new ball in recent matches, returning figures of 1/22 against South Africa, including the wicket of Tazmin Brits, and 3/20 against the Netherlands. She credited captain Harmanpreet Kaur 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.
Addressing Fielding Concerns
India's fielding has been a major concern, with dropped catches threatening their campaign. However, Shafali backed her teammates, insisting the mistakes were not due to 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.
