Despite a dominant 94-run victory in the Women’s Asia Cup opener, India’s Shafali Verma stresses the critical need for the team’s batting unit to assess and improve its performance on challenging turning pitches.
Key Points
- India secured a 94-run victory over Thailand in the Women’s Asia Cup opener, but faced batting challenges.
- Shafali Verma scored a quick 64, but India’s middle order struggled, collapsing from 91/1 to 127/6.
- Verma highlighted the team’s need to improve adaptation to turning pitches, especially as the ball ages.
- The opener acknowledged her own mistake after getting set, attributing it to the ball gripping and coming late.
- Verma praised the progress of teams like Thailand, noting the overall growth in women’s cricket.
India opener Shafali Verma said the team’s batting unit will have to assess its shortcomings on turners despite opening with a facile 94-run victory in the Women’s Asia Cup opener here. Shafali smashed 64 off 36 balls, including eight fours and three sixes, to provide India with a flying start. But after reaching 91 for one, India slumped to 127 for six before eventually crawling to 159 for nine in 20 overs. Thailand paid for their inexperience and were all out for 65.
Analysing Batting Performance On Turners
“We will just go back and see where we are going wrong as a batting unit and where we can improve. Today’s game is done and we did really well, and whenever we go to our room, we are just thinking about what we can improve and what we can give more to the team,” Shafali said in the post-match press conference. Harmanpreet Kaur (5 off 9 balls), Bharati Fulamali (13 off 14 balls), Richa Ghosh (0) and Deepti Sharma (5) were disappointing against unheralded Thai bowlers.
Adapting To Pitch Conditions
India were aware that the pitch would offer some turn and hold. Shafali said the batters needed to adapt better as the innings progressed.
“As we all know, we came here and before that also, we all knew there would be a turning track, there would be a bit of hold, so we were aware about this track,” she said.
Shafali said the new ball came on nicely to the bat. “Talking about the track with the new ball, the ball was coming very nicely. After the ball gets old, there is a bit of hold and there is a bit of turn.”
Shafali’s Self-Assessment And Experience
She departed after making a brisk 64, acknowledging that she could have played the ball better after it gripped and arrived a little late.
“As a batter, I was set at that time. I just made a bit of a mistake. The ball gripped a little bit and came a little late. I might have been able to play it grounded,” she said. Shafali, who had played in the UAE during the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, said her previous experience of the conditions helped her prepare for the Asia Cup.
“Two years back we came here for the World Cup, so I know the conditions and I am prepared. Back home, I was just preparing for this track and all,” she said.
Praise For Thailand And Women’s Cricket Growth
The opener gave credit to Thailand’s bowlers for making India work hard for their runs.
“It’s just cricket, in the end. I know we have to grow and we’re just trying hard to show good cricket in the middle. We have practised hard for that, but just credit to the Thailand bowlers,” she said. She also welcomed the progress of teams such as Thailand and the UAE, saying regular international exposure would help them develop further.
“As a team, we are so happy with the way women’s cricket is growing and the way they are improving. Hats off to them. I would say to them, just keep working hard. We are all so happy just seeing the improvement in women’s cricket.”
Source: www.rediff.com
