navi MUMBAI, Oct. 30 -- On the eve of their all-important Women's World Cup semi-final against defending champions Australia, as the India batters lined up for a hit out in the nets, Shafali Verma also took guard at the DY Patil Sports Complex's University ground here on Wednesday afternoon. Of all the batters that he bowled to, young net bowler Vishal Thakur, from the Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar Cricket Academy which is housed in the same complex in Navi Mumbai, said he was most impressed by Shafali's hitting. "She hit so many balls outside the ground, into the University buildings. She was middling the ball. Shafali looked the best, along with Amanjot Kaur," said Thakur, who bowls off-spin. "Attacking batter hai woh, maar hi rahi thi (she is an attacking batter, and was playing her natural game)," said the youngster. Shafali last played an ODI in October last year, losing her place in the 50-over format. An explosive opener who broke into the national team as a teenager, she paid the price for her inconsistency. And in Pratika Rawal, the Indian selectors discovered a fine batting talent. For an opening batter, she is compact with a sound temperament. With a series of consistent scores, Pratika made the place her own, forming a successful combination with Smriti Mandhana at the top of the order. The highlight of the left-right batting combination was in the crucial league encounter against New Zealand in which the duo put on a record 212-run partnership. After that kind of an effort, there seemed no hope for Shafali to make a comeback in the ODI team for some time at least. The Haryana player was in Surat playing in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy for her state. However, a serious ankle injury to Pratika while fielding in the final league game against Bangladesh on a rain-soaked DY Patil Stadium pitch has given Shafali a chance, that too in the biggest game of all - a World Cup semi-final at home against defending champions Australia after the selectors drafted her in, especially in the hope that her power-hitting, if it comes off, will boost India's strike rate early. Although Shafali has been in good touch, it will be a challenge to handle the pressure of a massive game against the formidable Australia side. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Shafali pointed to her international experience to handle the stage, having already played three T20 World Cups and one World Cup in the 50-overs format. The youngster was also the captain when India won the inaugural U-19 Women's T20 World Cup. "Now you're talking about the semi-finals - it's not something new for me because I've played many semis before. It's just a matter of keeping my mind clear and giving myself confidence. I've been in such situations earlier. I'll keep telling myself to stay calm and believe in myself," she Shafali. "So absolutely, I'll do well - 200%," the youngster added. While Pratika had a successful partnership with Mandhana, there was a debate whether India had similar players in the top three, with No.3 Harleen Deol also only a steady accumulator. That could change with Shafali. The 21-year-old thrives in an explosive, high-risk game. Australia are aware of the threat she could pose if she gets going. Shafali admitted that the circumstances made her comeback bittersweet. "What happened to Pratika was unfortunate. No player wants to see a teammate injured," she said, adding that she sees this as a chance "sent by God to do something good". "I was playing T20s and as a batter, it's not that easy to switch. But we had a practice session today (Wednesday) as well as yesterday (Tuesday). I tried to play good balls along the ground and those in my range, I tried to hit them well. I felt great knowing I did all that I was trying to do."...