Former India cricketer Nushin Al-Khadir on Wednesday said young India opener Shafali Verma is a brilliant front-footer but she needs to work on her back-foot to put pressure on Australia. Shafali could only manage 8 runs in the first ODI, which Australia lost by nine wickets against Australia on Tuesday.
“I think in the first ODI, we saw that they (Australian) were bowling very little on her (Shafali) body. She needs to adapt and get her back foot shot well, because the Aussies have read her, she is a fantastic front-foot player and she can be destructive,” Khadir said.
“But if Shafali can get on her back-foot, I am sure it will take Australia on the back foot… She needs to work on her back-foot now.”
Former right-handed batsman and off-spinner Khadir also backed ODI captain Mithali Raj, who is often criticized for his slow strike rate.
“I think it is very easy for us to sit back and decide that strike-rate is an issue, but as cricketers, do we know in which position she has come to bat,” Khadir said in a virtual call. – Said in the call. Captain Mithali Raj’s strike rate criticized
“I would like to put a question saying whether it is okay for a batsman to score 10 runs in 8 balls or a batsman who is capable of scoring 60-70 runs, in exactly 100 balls he took and contributed those 60 runs, There’s a difference in that.”
World number one ODI batsman Raj scored his fifth consecutive fifty in the first ODI against Australia. He has also completed 20,000 career runs but still he is often criticized for his slow strike rate.
“I understand strike rate is important, but we need to understand the waking state of a batsman. Is the position right to get a strike rate of 100-120 and what happens,” said Khadir, who scored 78 Played ODI matches, 5 Tests and 2 T20s.
The 40-year-old also pointed out the lack of contribution from the middle order.
“For some time now, if we look at the figures, we have seen that our middle order is not contributing.
“So if we are going with a strike rate of 100 and we miss his innings, the criticism will be that he has not been informed, is not contributing, so where is the contribution of the middle order, we need people. Contribution needed.
“Otherwise, we will see India not even crossing 200 runs,” he quipped.
India will play two more ODIs, a day-night Test and three T20Is during the series.
Watch the 2nd ODI of India’s tour of Australia on 24 September 2021 at 10:40 am IST and 3rd ODI on 26 September 2021 at 5:35 am IST live on Sony Six channels.
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