'We don't go in predetermined' - Shafali Verma reveals India's plan ahead of all-important Australia clash

As India prepare to face Australia in the Women's T20 World Cup 2024 in Sharjah, cricketer Shafali Verma shared insights on the team's strategy, emphasising adaptability and strong starts. She highlighted the importance of quick singles in the large UAE grounds, especially with Smriti Mandhana in fine form.

Australian players Tahlia McGrath, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, and Beth Mooney also discussed the intense rivalry, praising India's talent and particularly recognizing Mandhana as a key threat. With both teams eager for victory, the upcoming match is set to be a thrilling contest for fans. 

Speaking exclusively on Star Sports ahead of India’s clash against Australia in the ICC T20 Women's World Cup, Shafali broke down team India’s strategy and how they are gearing up for the upcoming challenge in Sharjah.

“Yes, we have a good team right now and that's because we don't just go in predetermined. Whoever looks in good touch on that particular day, we just try to rotate the strike and let them play as many deliveries as possible. And yeah, she's (Smriti Mandhana)  hitting the spinners quite well, so that's a positive sign. And we just try to give a good start for the team which in-turn produces a good innings and ultimately we are able to put a good score on the board. So our aim is just to do well for our team and back our strength.”

Shafali also spoke on the playing conditions in UAE. “I think we're used to the conditions here, maybe because of that, we are able to run well between the wickets. But we just try to take the first run fast because the ground here is massive, it’s about 70 meters, if I'm not wrong. So we try to take the first run fast. It's very difficult to hit a six. But are looking forward to taking quick singles.”

Check Out: Women's T20 World Cup 2024 Points Table

Australian players Tahlia McGrath, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney too shared their views on India-Australia rivalry.

"It's always fun playing India. The crowd is always double when you play them. I'm pretty sure every single game we play against them comes down to the last over. It's always a hard-fought battle. It's always swings in momentum in the game. We're going to have to be wary of them. Two world-class teams going head-to-head is always going to produce a really good fixture for fans," McGrath said.

Ellyse Perry added: “India are phenomenally talented and skillful side and we know whenever we play each other that it's going to be super tough. It's been a pleasure to kind of develop that rivalry with India.”

Alyssa Healy said: “It's always a big match. I think it's the last round game in our pool, which is probably going to be high pressure stakes yet again. They’ve got a lot of match winners. I can't go past probably Smriti Mandhana at the top of the order. We know how hard they are to beat and hard to play against, especially in the biggest stage.”

Beth Mooney said: “I think Smriti is just a classy player. When people watch her bat, they probably say, you know, she's really nice to watch.”