Shafali Verma: Quite a cricketer

NICK FRIEND AT BRISTOL looks back on the key moments from the second day of the one-off Test between England and India

Live by the sword…

When play began on the second day in Bristol amid dark clouds and a muggy breeze, there was a school of thought – not without some merit – that England might be inclined to declare early on and look to hit India with a barrage of fresh seamers under the Nevil Road floodlights.

With rain tentatively predicted for later on in an ever-changing forecast, the smart money was on moving the game forward and perhaps looking to exploit Indian weaknesses against the moving red ball – an alien concept for several on debut.

By the close, such a ploy looked foolhardy: led by Sophia Dunkley and an extraordinary cameo from Anya Shrubsole, England were able to declare on 396 for 9 – more than Heather Knight had hinted at when she spoke at the end of the first day, before India’s response sprouted in remarkable fashion and tailed off in its final throes.

Shafali Verma is no secret. But for 152 deliveries, she announced herself to whichever corners of the cricketing world were not yet familiar with her work. In the overs immediately after tea, she took on Katherine Brunt in a manner hardly seen at all in her distinguished international career, hammering her down the ground and then pulling over the legside when Brunt tested out the middle of a slow pitch. Even when she deceived her with an off-cutter that looked destined to cut the fun short, it spun away for four byes past Verma’s leg-stump.

It was irrepressible, enthralling, fearless and everything else you might not expect from most teenagers on Test debut, but then Verma isn't most teenagers. Eight months after she was born, Brunt made her Test debut. Here they were – two greats of different generations – going at one another, determined not to stand down.

In the recent history of women’s Test cricket – albeit a meagre sample size – there can have been few episodes more captivating. Even Sophie Ecclestone, so often a talismanic figure of composure, was compelled to lose control of her length, paying for a full-toss with a six belted over mid-on. It was, quite simply, bloody good fun and an absolute thrill to witness.

^{Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put on a 167-run partnership for the first wicket}

That Verma fell in the manner she did – skewing to mid-off as she attempted to reach three figures in a blaze of glory – was somewhat fitting. An apt, almost imperative ending. Had she edged behind half-heartedly, worried about reaching her landmark in four tentative singles, she would have dragged herself from the pitch in the knowledge that she hadn’t been true to herself.

It didn’t go unappreciated either: Georgia Elwiss made a point of beelining for the teenager as she ran in to celebrate, offering a fist-bump in acknowledgement.

In time, Verma will look back on that moment, proud that she stuck to her guns: Test opportunities don’t come around often enough for female cricketers to go away from what they do best. Live by the sword and die by it. Everything we know of Verma, a scarily talented child dealing out beatings to names far more established, suggests that the game has plenty more to look forward to. What a treat Birmingham Phoenix have in store when The Hundred comes around.

Here, she provided not only a great advert for this game, but pertinently for more chances like this in the future.

Rather than adhering to any perceived status quo as to how Test cricket should be played, she did it her way. For 96 brilliant runs. The four she missed out on, quite frankly, can wait. How long for? Much of that will depend on the BCCI and how the game wishes to amplify India’s thrilling women’s side and a teenage star of generational potential. What that means, only time will tell. But more Verma will mean more days like today – and that can only be a great thing.

Visible only to those present was the reaction to her dismissal, subjecting her helmet to a single punch of frustration as she crossed the boundary rope and took a seat alongside her teammates just in front of the advertising hoardings. Shortly afterwards, she began a stroll back towards the pavilion to deposit her weapon of choice, helmet under one arm, her other hand ruffling her hair, all with an air of assured satisfaction.

Shafali Verma, some player.

^{Earlier in the game, Verma had taken a fine short-leg catch to dismiss Tammy Beaumont}

Where does today leave the game?

The final hour of play has given England control. Once Smriti Mandhana gifted England her wicket, attempting needlessly to loft Nat Sciver over her head, the home side sensed an opportunity and refused to let go.

Punam Raut’s dismissal – padding up to a straight delivery from Knight – summed up a curious, muddled innings that accrued just two runs in 31 deliveries, while the soft loss of Shikha Pandey – sent in to protect Mithali Raj ahead of the close – subjected India’s captain to a time at which she would rather not have been out in the middle.

And after punching her first ball through cover, she was caught via inside edge to her next delivery – a solitary wicket for Ecclestone, who bowled too quickly at times to be effective on a pitch that offered India’s spinners their turn when they took the pace off.

It was Knight, then, who showed the way, recording outrageous figures of 2 for 1 in six overs, with England now in the driving seat – weather-permitting – to press home their advantage tomorrow.