Women’s WC: Shafali can't afford to think about pressure, she's to go with mindset of making a difference: Ian Bishop

Navi Mumbai, Oct 29 Former West Indies’ fast bowler Ian Bishop has urged Shafali Varma to seize an unexpected opportunity and make a decisive impact for India in their 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final against Australia, to be played at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday.

India suffered a big blow when in-form opener Pratika Rawal was ruled out of the semi-final clash against Australia due to ankle and knee injuries suffered while fielding in the league match against Bangladesh, which was eventually washed out due to rain.

Pratika’s injury-enforced absence has meant that Shafali, who hasn’t played an ODI in nearly a year, was drafted into the Indian World Cup squad. Shafali is coming off playing Senior Women’s T20 Trophy games for Haryana and had made a brisk 70 off 49 deliveries in a four-wicket win (via DLS method) for India A over New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up match at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

"That won't be easy. Look, again, it comes down to hoping that she's been working on her game. Obviously, her run of form in recent times internationally hasn't been great. However, it is a one-off game, and she has to come in with this mindset - I've been given an opportunity here that I probably didn't think would happen, or I could not predict it into a semi-final, which, apart from the final, is going to be the highest pressure in or the highest expectation in the World Cup.

"She can't afford to think about pressure, though. She has to come in with this mindset. I got this opportunity to make a difference, to make a difference for this team and perhaps for this country. I'll try to remain as relaxed as possible, but I'm going to make the most of this opportunity and fill the void adequately. So that's the mindset, and the execution of course has to be built up in her practice sessions leading into this game," Bishop told reporters during a JioStar Media Day on the eve of the India-Australia semi-final clash.

He also acknowledged that replacing Pratika, who scored a hundred in India’s crucial win over New Zealand, represents a significant blow to the hosts’ aiming to win an ODI World Cup for the first time.

"Those are never easy questions to fill the void because Pratika, with that hundred in her last performance when she batted, looked in good touch. It was sort of a landmark achievement in many ways, the way that she played. She also bowled a few overs. So that's a significant blow. But within the team, it has to be next player up.

"Whether they go with Shafali, whose record against Australia isn't outstanding. I think she has one half-century, but she's been playing some T20 cricket. Do they bank on the fact that she's been scoring runs in that T20 tournament recently? That's a decision that the team will have to make," he added.

Bishop insisted India cannot afford to let Pratika's absence dampen the team morale. "So, look, I don't think it's an easy thing, but you cannot dwell on the fact that Pratika is not there and let that be a downer on the team. Next player up, come in and make an impact, because this is a World Cup semi-final and it's all on the line.”

“So that's the mindset. It's something that the Australians do very well in that if Alyssa Healy is injured, Georgia Voll comes in. Then someone comes in and steps into that void with a great deal of confidence given to them by the backroom staff,” he said.

Bishop also opined that India will be better off having an extra bowling option in their playing eleven against Australia's formidable batting line-up on a red soil Navi Mumbai pitch. "I believe I would like for India to have that extra bowling depth and allow the batters to take responsibility, whoever that combination is. With the bowling and batting depth of Australia, I would want to have that extra bowling combination."

He also floated an intriguing tactical suggestion: promoting Harleen Deol to open the batting, which would enable India to field an extra bowler. "That was one of the things that I was playing around in my mind in Harleen going up to the top, and she likes pace on the ball. It will give her a chance, an opportunity to be fluent within that power play and play that extra bowler.”

“That's a way to accommodate the extra bowler and allowing Harmanpreet to have options. Because Australia, I'm telling you, you go in with five specialist bowlers and Australia are going to look to target even harder one or two of those to put pressure on India so that Harmanpreet then has to go, whether it's towards herself for some part-time bowling.

“So again, that's my thing. I like the comfort of knowing I have an all-rounder who can give me some runs if called upon but who can also give me some specialist bowling," he concluded.

Catch Australia vs India in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025 on Thursday, at 3:00 PM, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.

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