Worked on grounded shots during lockdown to prepare for ODIs: Shafali

After suffering a 6-wicket loss in the second T20I of the 3-match series against South Africa, India opening batter Shafali Verma said she worked on every aspect of batting during lockdown

After suffering a six-wicket loss in the second T20I of the three-match series against South Africa, India opening batter Shafali Verma said that she worked on every aspect of batting during the one year off she got due to coronavirus-induced lockdown.

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Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt played knocks of 70 and 53 respectively as South Africa defeated India by six wickets in the second T20I on Sunday here at the Ekana Cricket Ground. With this win, the Proteas sealed the three-match series after gaining a 2-0 unassailable lead. This is the first time that South Africa has managed to win a T20I series against India.

"When I was batting today, the only thing on my mind was to perform to the best of my ability. I knew if I stay at the crease, I will help the team to get a good total. I was playing my natural game. When we saw the wicket, we knew that we can score 150-160, and our batters did just that," said Shafali during a virtual press conference on Sunday.

"The wicket was nice to bat on, when Harleen came out, our plan was to rotate the strike and dispatch the loose balls for boundaries. We just wanted the team to get a big total. I am playing after one year, I got confidence after playing the first T20I, the past year was quite a challenge," she added.

In the second T20I, Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosha played knocks of 47 and 44 respectively as India posted a total of 158/4 in the allotted twenty overs. In the final overs, Richa Ghosh played a quickfire knock of 40 runs off just 26 balls as India posted a total of more than the 150-run mark.

When asked about the aspects she worked on during lockdown, Shafali said: "During the lockdown, I did hard work and I worked on to be selective in picking balls which I need to go after. I improved on rotating the strike and I worked on taking singles and doubles. I worked on both front foot and backfoot."

"When I am batting, I always think about dispatching the loose balls for boundaries. If I find any ball in my area, I try to smash it. During the lockdown, I was also trying to prepare for the ODIs so I worked on playing grounded shots. Misfielding can happen in a match, we will learn from this experience," she added.