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Star India batter Shafali Verma scored a brilliant fifty in the unofficial Test against Australia A at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane. Shafali's impressive performance came just days after she was left out of India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup which is slated to start from September 30.
Shafali Verma's brilliant fifty for India A
Resuming at an overnight score of 158/5, Australia A finished their first innings at 305, taking a narrow six-run lead. In their second innings, India A ended the day at 260/8, securing a total lead of 254 runs. Shafali was a key contributor with a resilient 52, while Raghavi Bist top-scored with 86. During her innings, Shafali built important partnerships, first with wicketkeeper Nandini Kashyap for 42 runs, and then with Dhara Gujjar for 36 runs. Her third-wicket partnership with Tejal Hasabnis added another 37 runs before she was dismissed for 52 by Amy Edgar.
Meanwhile, for Australia A, Sianna Ginger was instrumental in their first-innings recovery. Starting the day at 24, she went on to score a gritty 103 from 138 deliveries, helping her team overcome a shaky start.
In the unofficial Test match, Sianna Ginger and Nicole Faltum put on a determined 102-run partnership for the sixth wicket, which helped Australia A surpass India A's first-innings total of 299. In that innings, Shafali Verma had contributed 35 runs, while Raghvi Bist scored 93 and VJ Joshitha made 51. Joshitha remains at the crease, unbeaten on 9 at the end of the third day's play.
For India A, off-spinner Amy Edgar was a consistent threat, taking 4 wickets for 53 runs. However, key partnerships helped India maintain their momentum. After Shafali's fifty, Raghvi took charge, forging several crucial alliances. The most significant was a 68-run fifth-wicket stand with Tanusree Sarkar.
Raghvi's impressive innings came to an end when she fell to Edgar, just seven overs before the close of play. She scored a well-made half-century off 119 deliveries.
Shafali was dropped from the World Cup squad due to her recent inconsistent performances. In the three ODIs leading up to the squad announcement, she scored 52, 4, and 36. Her form in the T20Is that preceded them for India A was also underwhelming, with scores of 41, 3, and 3. The Women's World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is set to take place from September 30 to November 2. Despite reaching the final on two occasions, India has yet to win the tournament. They were defeated by England by just nine runs in the 2017 final and by Australia by 98 runs in the 2005 final.
India’s squad for Women’s World Cup 2025:
Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh (wk), Kranti Gaud, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Sneh Rana
Standby players: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Uma Chetry (wk), Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare
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