Shafali's Approach Reminds Us Of Virender Sehwag: R. Sridhar Heaps High Praise On Shafali Verma

17-year-old Shafali Verma has once again taken the entire cricketing world by storm courtesy of her fearless batting on her Test debut in the ongoing one-off Test against England in Bristol

Shafali, who has already impinged herself as one of the most exciting batters in the world in white-ball cricket, has taken to red-ball cricket like fish to water despite having not played any FC game prior to her debut.

The Haryana-born cricketer,  who also happens to be the youngest Indian to score an ODI fifty, became the second youngest Indian women batter to smash a fifty on Test debut.

Shafali Verma was just four runs short of what would have been an Unbelievable maiden Test ton on debut when she was eventually dismissed in an attempt to hoike Kate Cross for another six.

The Indian batting fell like ninepins following Shafali’s dismissal, losing 10/64 in the process.

India couldn’t even manage to save the follow-on, and it prompted Heather Knight to invite the visitors to bat again.

Shafali Verma once again established her authority in India’s second essay as he smashed yet another half-century (55*off 68 balls) to become the youngest women cricketer to score 50+ in each innings on Test debut.

Not only cricket fans, even the Indian men’s fielding coach R. Sridhar has been left highly impressed with the fearless batting of Verma.

Sridhar, in the post-day conference, likened Shafali Verma’s approach with the legendary Virender Sehwag.

“Shafali, so much reminds us of Viru (Virender Sehwag), doesn’t she? The way she plays and her mindset is so clear, so we are enjoying the innings from Shafali. I wish she had got a hundred in the first innings,” Sridhar said.

“And well played to both Smriti (Mandhana) and Shafali, what a rollicking start they gave us in the first innings and unfortunately, we couldn’t capitalise on that, but great test match going there,” added Sridhar.

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— Shafali Verma (@TheShafaliVerma) June 18, 2021

The fielding coach further revealed that the entire Indian men’s team have been keenly following the game.

“We have not missed a bit of the girls’ game right from day one. We have almost seen it, whenever we can except for the times we were out for practise. All of us have seen the game, it has been live going on in our rooms, in our team room, in our breakfast area and even today, when we are (were) for the rain to stop, all of us were sitting together and watching the girl’s game and encouraging our girls,” he said.

“Now they are fighting to get back into the game, claw their way back into the game, seeing Deepti (Sharma) put up a stoic performance there, she has played a few balls for her one or two runs when I left (for the press conference), Sridhar added.

Shafali Verma has already become the first Indian women cricketer to aggregate 100-plus in a Test match on debut, and her aggregate of 151 is the fourth-highest on Test debut by an Indian.

Most aggregate runs on Test debut match by Indians
187 (187) – Shikhar Dhawan v Aus in 2013
177 (177) – Rohit Sharma v WI in 2013
156 (38 & 118) – Lala Amarnath v Eng 1933
151* (96+55*) – Shafali Verma v Eng in 2021#EngWvIndW

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) June 18, 2021

The fourth and final day of the Test match will provide another opportunity for Shafali to complete her maiden Test ton, something that she missed in the first innings.

Also Read- Shafali Verma’s Father Reacts To Her Debut Test Innings Of 96