 "Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop backed India opener Shafali Verma to make her country proud in the ICC Women's World Cup semi-final against Australia in Navi Mumbai. Reuters")
Shafali Verma will likely face one of the biggest challenges of her career when she walks out to bat on Thursday during the blockbuster ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final between co-hosts India and defending champions Australia in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.
Verma isn’t someone who isn’t familiar with the situation, i.e. facing the world’s best team in a high-voltage World Cup knockout game. She had, after all, opened alongside star batter Smriti Mandhana in the final of the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final, as well as in the semi-final of the same tournament three years later.
The situation, however, couldn’t be more different for Verma this time around, with the 21-year-old opener set to make her first appearance of the ICC Women’s World Cup, which has entered its final week with the mega event set to conclude at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.
It will be her first competitive game in a month, and she’s only getting the opportunity due to in-form opener Pratika Rawal getting ruled out of the remainder of the tournament after picking up an injury in the group match against Bangladesh on Sunday.
Bishop urges Verma to make ‘significant impact’ for her country
Speaking to reporters on JioStar Media Day, former West Indian pacer Ian Bishop – who is part of the commentary team for the ongoing tournament – felt that the situation will not be easy for Verma if she’s slotted into the Indian playing XI right away in place of Rawal, but she must embrace the challenge with a positive mindset nevertheless.
“Coming back after a break, especially in a match as crucial as a World Cup semi-final, is never easy. Shafali’s recent international form hasn’t been great, but this is a one-off opportunity she must embrace with a positive mindset. She should see this as a chance to make a significant impact for her team and country rather than feel pressured,” Bishop said in response to a query from Firstpost.
“Staying relaxed yet determined to make the best use of this opportunity will be key. Her execution will depend largely on how well she has prepared in practice sessions leading up to the match,” he added.
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Australia had beaten India 2-1 in a three-match ODI series right before the World Cup, and had also pulled off a record chase of 331 against the Women in Blue when the two sides had met in the group stage of the tournament in Visakhapatnam.
Not only did India suffer a late batting collapse to get bowled out for 330 from 294/4 when a score in the range of 370-380 was on the cards, they also found themselves reduced to helpless spectators with Australian captain Alyssa Healy laying the foundation for victory with a dominant 142 off 107 deliveries.
India did make things interesting later in the game by reducing Australia to 303/7 in the 46th over, but all-rounder Ellyse Perry – who had been struggling with her fitness in that game – got her team over the line with an unbeaten 47.
‘Would like India to have that extra bowling depth’
One of the key takeaways from that game for India was the lack of a sixth bowling option, which is why the Aussies were able to get over the line with an over to spare in the end despite losing a flurry of wickets late in the chase. And Bishop for one felt an additional bowling option could certainly come in handy for Harmanpreet Kaur and company.
“I would like India to have that extra bowling depth and let the batters take responsibility. With Australia’s batting depth, I’d prefer one more bowling option. I don’t like part-timers in such a big game. Back your top order to get the runs but always have a fallback, especially on a good batting surface like DY Patil.
“If you go in with just five specialist bowlers, Australia will target one or two to put pressure on India. That could force Harmanpreet Kaur to use herself or other part-time options. It’s always good to have an all-rounder who can bat and bowl when needed,” Bishop continued.
Harmanpreet and Co advised to seek inspiration from ‘Kapil’s Devils’
The 58-year-old Trinidadian, who represented the West Indies in 43 Tests and 84 ODIs in a decade-long international career, also commented on Australia’s status as the overwhelming favourites heading into the knockouts, given the fact that they are yet to lose a match so far.
Bishop urged the Indian team to seek inspiration from the Kapil Dev-led Indian side that defeated the mighty West Indies in the 1983 Men’s World Cup despite being the underdogs in that game.
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“I want to take everyone here back to when we talk about an aura of invincibility, right? I don’t often talk about this because I was a young kid and I was sick for days after this match. Remember, was it that 1983 World Cup men’s edition when India beat the West Indies at Lord’s?
“West Indies came in as overwhelming favourites and they were overturned by India that ushered in a whole new generation and a way of viewing and playing the game. That is something - that is a spirit that all teams and much more so India, have to draw upon in the semifinal.
“Again, I’m not diminishing anything that Australia can do because they are the team to beat. So that’s why we’re not talking too much about them because they come into this as favorites. But it’s a chance for India to make their own history,” Bishop added.
Catch Semi-final 2 of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025, as India take on Australia on October 30 at 3:00 PM, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network
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