She was dropped from the XI in the tri-series earlier this month, after India had played three of their four group games. Veda had scores of 2, 8 and 7. Enough, felt some, and fairly so. Perhaps no batter has been given as many opportunities as Veda.
Just 18 months ago, there was widespread criticism of her performance in the last T20 World Cup in 2018. In the semi-final that India lost to England, Veda was preferred over Mithali Raj to play the role of a finisher. On a slow pitch, she departed for 2. India collapsed to a below par 112. Her scores in the group stages didn’t help: 2*, 8*, 9 and 3.
Still, India persisted with the 27 year old, even through the post-MilJhul (Mithali and Jhulan), teenage-talent era. A half century in the West Indies last year, her first in the format since 2016, booked her spot on the plane to Australia.
But three single-digit scores on Aussie shores, and she was out of the side. Again.
I’ve watched Veda play for most of her career. I’ve played with and against her. She never scores ugly runs. Because even when she’s out of form, she looks so good. You can see the ability, in the time she has, in the shots she plays. The power despite the apparent laziness.
How do you not believe in that? How do you drop that?
One of the problems is that no one else has pushed Veda for her spot. But most of the problems have been Veda herself. It has perpetually seemed that all she needed was some guidance, someone to funnel her talent and point it in the right direction.
To put it bluntly, for someone to help her sort her thing out.
WV Raman has tried to sort some of the technical bits. You would have noticed Veda’s new crow-feet stance. Feet close together, as if her shoelaces are tied until the ball is released.
“It is about accessing more areas and trying to be more balanced. Now I have a more stable stance while playing my strokes,” she said. Raman proposed this stance to her in the middle of last year, during a month long camp in Bangalore. “We went through a lot of different stances and a lot of different techniques and finally settled on the one which I felt more comfortable.”
Her stance is counterintuitive. Usually wider stances give more stability, but Veda has found stability in a narrower one. "Because I had a wider stance, that meant that my legs were not moving enough because I was already in a wider base. With a smaller base I had more access, more range. Everybody has a different mechanism, and this is something which worked for me."
One the sidelines of rejection, she searched for inspiration. In the nets, with some help.
At the Junction Oval, as India celebrated a stunning chase against Australia, the same game Veda was dropped from, she was in the nets. And former Australia World Cup winner Lisa Sthalekar was looking on.
“It was not a planned session,” Veda explained on the eve of the World Cup. “I was out there doing my bit after the game. It was just that she was passing by as she was leaving from there and she just started looking at it because she’s been a mentor. I’ve shared a lot about my game and the mental aspects with her.”
Sthalekar has provided an outside perspective to Veda before. In the 2017 World Cup, the two had exchanged notes halfway through the tournament, and Sthalekar recruited Veda to share her experience with some of the younger teams. “In the 2017 World Cup, to start off, I was not in the playing XI, so it was easier to get things out and share it with her, and it kind of continued throughout. Because she has been commentating on a lot of our games, she closely watches and knows what I am doing. More than the technical and cricketing aspect, it’s about how I am feeling about my game on that particular day. I feel she understands it a lot better and considering she has played so much cricket herself and been a part of a successful team for a long period, I kind of try to pick how they think,” Veda shared.
On that particular day at the Junction Oval, Sthalekar didn’t stick around long. While there, she encouraged Veda to be more deliberate about her batting. Middle six balls. Analyse if you are hitting a gap or not. If you don’t middle a couple, focus on getting that feel back. That sort of stuff. Not rocket science. Basics. In a different bottle.
***
It was not surprising when India started their World Cup with Veda in the XI. Despite the flirtation with Harleen Deol and Richa Ghosh in the tri-series, they had invested too much in her to go with anyone else. They had carried her through her phases of poor form, specifically for this tournament.
You could compare it to Australia's decision to play a half-fit Ellyse Perry in the final of the 2013 World Cup. The plan was always to get her to that final. And going in, they knew it was a risk. But they had come too far to not go through with it.
There’s a standing joke in women’s cricket circles that Veda has been more useful as a translator than as a batter. On Monday night, she was on translation duties again, alongside Player of the Match Shafali Verma.
But Veda had gotten runs herself - her unbeaten 20 off 11, propelled India to 142.
She has the technique. She has a mentor looking on, Sthalekar was conducting the interview. Things seem to be going well.
But I won’t mention the sweep she nailed first ball, or her trademark inside-out shot over cover. Because that’s not enough.
Veda owes the team runs. Different coaches have backed her, different captains have shown faith in her while she was sorting her bit out. She owes them. She also owes herself. Because who knows how many more chances she’ll get?
Perry had to have surgery on her ankle after that World Cup. Some people feel she was never the same bowler after that. But they won. It was worth it.
/womenscriczone-channel/media/agency_attachments/Xa2a0Nz7cFM0kB0u4tLp.png)
Follow Us/womenscriczone-channel/media/post_banners/QHIbC710FSYB1bIDOZU1.jpeg)
/womenscriczone-channel/media/post_attachments/mONvU1j7lCHOHIb5ilq7.jpg)
/womenscriczone-channel/media/post_attachments/vkMDquQDN9gk8AaP43hJ.jpg)