If Shafali Verma can get on to her backfoot, it’s going to take Australia on the backfoot: Nooshin Al Khadeer

India and Australia Women locked horns with each other in the first ODI on Tuesday, September 21. India’s batting lineup struggled to make an impact but the side managed 225 at the end of their 50 overs. India’s young batter Shafali Verma also departed early on. The former India cricketer Nooshin Al Khadeer thus opened up on Verma’s batting.

Shafali has been one of the most promising players for India. She has exuded her flair for the team with her attacking style of play. In the recent all-format series against England, Verma became the youngest Indian cricketer to play across formats. Al Khadeer, however, feels that the batter needs to work on her backfoot game to dominate Australia.

“I think in the first ODI, we have seen that they (Australians) were bowling too short on her (Shafali) body. She needs to be adapt and get her back-foot shots quite well because the Aussies have read her, she is a fabulous front-foot player and she can be destructive. But if Shafali can get on to her back-foot, I am sure that it is going to take Australia on a backfoot… she needs to be working on her back-foot now,” Al Khadeer said as quoted by Indian Express.

Nooshin Al Khadeer on Mithali Raj’s batting approach in the first ODI

India’s middle-order wasn’t able to contribute much as the team’s batting lineup experienced a collapse. Yet again, it was skipper Mithali Raj who stood firm on the pitch and held the fort of the side. She registered her fifth consecutive ODI half-century in the first ODI against Australia.

However, she was brought under the scanner for showing extra bit of caution at the Harrup Park in Mackay. Al Khadeer backed the veteran Indian captain and pointed that she walked in to bat in a crunch situation.

“I think it is very easy for us to sit back and judge that strike-rate is an issue, but as cricketers, do we realize what situation she has walked into bat. I would want to put forward a question saying that is it okay for a batter to score 10 runs in 8 balls or a batter who is able to score 60-70 runs, okay in 100 balls she has taken and contribute those 60 runs, there is a difference in that.

“I understand strike rate is important, but we need to understand the situation of a batter waking in. Whether the situation is right to get a strike rate of 100-120 and what happens,” Al Khadeer added.