Bristol: She has been called the Sachin Tendulkar of Indian women’s cricket. She would ‘always regret’ missing the hundred in a memorable Test debut against England. However, India’s teenage batting sensation Shafali Verma said Thursday that her 96-run knock in the ongoing one-off game against England has also given her confidence to aim higher the next time. It was a rare chance Shafali Verma had, but threw it away due to a moment of discretion.
Shafali announced her arena to the Test arena in style. The 17-year-old lived up to her reputation and notched the highest score by an Indian woman cricketer on Test debut. She smashed 13 fours and two sixes during her 152-ball stay. However, her attempt to reach the century with a maximum proved costly as she mistimed a Kate Cross delivery which was caught by Anya Shrubsole.
“It’s always natural to feel bad to miss out on a hundred (on debut). I will always regret it, but this innings will give me a lot of confidence in the coming matches. I hope to convert it to a hundred the next time,” the Indian opener said in the virtual post-match media conference here.
The Haryana girl later took to Twitter to thank everyone for the support and backing. “I would like to thank each and every one of you for your kind words of support and for your wishes. It would not be possible to respond to each message individually. I am proud to be a part of this team and such wonderfully supportive teammates and support staff,” Shafali posted.
“I know my father, my family, my Association, my team and academy will miss those 4+ runs more than me. I promise I will make it up to them on other occasions. They have all been a huge support!” Shafali further stated.
During her knock, Shafali shattered the record of Chanderkanta Kaul. The latter had scored 75 on her Test debut against New Zealand at Nelson in 1995.
“Whenever I go to play in a big match or series, I always stay confident, I never count my age. I just think about how to support my team and contribute in the best possible way,” Shafali informed.
Verma also stitched 167 runs with her senior opening partner Smriti Mandhana (78). Shafali was asked about her bonding with Mandhana at the top of the order. “We always back each other and understand each other. She always lends great support to me and guides me, it helps me a lot. We just played our natural game, hit the loose deliveries and kept on supporting each other. It’s about holding on to the crease,” Shafali stated.
Shafali was asked about her preparation leading up to the Test debut. “I always learn from every series. Like for this debut Test, I worked on choosing the right ball as well as on fitness. It feels very good to contribute to the team cause,” she said.