Former India captain Anjum Chopra has expressed her disappointment with Deepti Sharma’s shot selection during India’s tight four-run loss against England in the Women’s ODI World Cup. This latest defeat marks India’s third consecutive loss in the prestigious tournament.
The match’s outcome hinged on the late stages of India’s chase, where a strong partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur had put the team in a commanding position. However, after Mandhana’s departure, the Indian batting lineup faltered. Deepti Sharma, tasked with carrying the innings, played a seemingly aggressive shot towards the boundary off the bowling of Sophie Ecclestone, only to be caught. Chopra, analyzing the situation, declared the shot “unnecessary” and questioned the logic behind playing an aerial shot towards the longest boundary against a skilled spinner. “The same goes for Deepti. Why play an aerial shot on the biggest boundary against Sophie Ecclestone when it’s not needed?” Chopra questioned.
Chopra emphasized the hard work that went into reaching the near run-a-ball situation, lamenting the loss of wickets. She said, “Perhaps it’s the pressure of chasing or the desire to finish quickly.” While critical of the specific shot, Chopra also lauded Deepti Sharma’s significant improvement as a player over the past year, highlighting her all-round skills and game awareness. “The way she carried the innings after Harmanpreet’s dismissal, rotating strike, avoiding risky sweep shots, opening up the off-side field, was impressive,” Chopra added. She concluded by pointing to fielding inefficiencies as another critical factor, suggesting that better fielding could have provided India with the crucial runs needed for victory.