NAVI MUMBAI: “Dekhiye, hum UP waale bahaut simple rehte hai (See, we people from Uttar Pradesh are simple in nature).” Former India spinner Neetu David jokes when asked about Deepti Sharma’s persona on and off the field.
When Sharma takes the field for India, there is a ferocious aggression she brings to the table, not just with her bowling but by her mere presence. Off the field, the off-spinner, the leading wicket-taker for India at this World Cup, comes across as someone calm, doesn’t reveal specifics about her cricketing plans behind the scenes and quietly goes about her business.
But not many know Sharma better than former chief selector David. As someone who has watched Sharma grow up, the former left-arm spinner feels the contrast can be a strength. “I am telling you from whatever I have seen of her childhood days. Not long after she started playing cricket, she used to train with a lot of us Indian players — myself, Hemalata Kala, Nooshin Al Khadeer, and Mithali Raj. Maybe that helped her become mature at a very young age,” David tells this daily. “Training with established players, leading teams like UP and Bengal, which have established players, all gives a big boost to the player’s confidence,” she adds.
It did help that Sharma broke into the Indian team as a teenager and has been an integral part of the set-up for almost a decade now. She was there when India crumbled in the 2017 World Cup final against England at Lord’s. She was also at the centre of it all in the heartbreaking loss against South Africa during the 2022 WC in Christchurch.
However, this World Cup, she has been at the front and centre of India’s plans, leading the way with 15 wickets and 133 runs, including two crucial fifties. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she has become the best all-rounder to have played for India. Across the globe, Ellyse Perry, Stafanie Taylor and Marizanne Kapp have more runs and more wickets than Sharma in the 50-over format.
While Sharma has always been the perennial trier who worked her back off until she got better, this World Cup, she is reaping all the rewards. She is India’s go-to partnership-breaker, who holds the innings together, both during the middle-overs and at the death.
Apart from her consistency, what has stood out in this tournament is the way she has utilised her variations. Whether it is going around the wicket to Chamari Athapaththu and deceiving her in the air, staying over the wicket for Anushka Sanjeewani or slowing down significantly to keep Australia and South Africa batters, or the way she bowled what seemed like a cross-seamed delivery from a seamer to castle Tammy Beaumont behind her legs, Sharma has been hitting the right notes through this tournament. It is something she had spoken about during the bilateral series against Australia before the WC. “When I train, my thought process will be about how to use my variations, angles and what delivery to use in what situation of the game and so on,” she had said.
Sharma, who went past David's 141 wickets in WODIs during the World Cup, also has a few natural variations up her sleeve. Having started as a medium-pacer, it was Kala who suggested she take up off-spin. “She (Kala) inspired her to bowl off spin. It is her natural strength to bowl fast with her shoulders. For other variations, I have to credit Aavishkar (Salvi, bowling coach),” David explained.
“When I was a selector, I interacted with him a lot. He has spent a lot of time with not just Deepti, but all the bowlers. Take Deepti, he is giving her time to see what more she can do. He spent a lot of time with her and other bowlers in England, when I was with the team, and during camps. It is showing in the variations she is using.
“I think her strategy is to bowl more on the middle-leg. Usually, overseas players are strong on the offside, and the plan could be to attack the middle and leg. He (Aavishkar) even told me, ‘Ma’am, wait and see, spinners will do well in this WC,” David added.
While Sharma has had her career-best World Cup, she knows none of it would matter if she has a bad day against Australia in the semifinal. She also knows she is not the nervous teenager who was in tears after a mix-up with Harmanpreet Kaur in the 2017 semifinal against the same team. Deepti is now a confident leader who spearheads the bowling attack and will want to step up and lead from the front once again. “Her ten overs are very, very crucial. She bowls in the middle and death; if a pacer can't get early breakthroughs, Deepti and Sneh (Rana) are key for the team. The plans will be made around them,” David says with confidence. After being a part of two World Cup heartbreaks, Deepti, too, will give her everything to ensure she and India set up a date with destiny.
