Her explosive batting is something India depends heavily on. It is crucial to the the team’s fortunes in the T20 World Cup.
In front of a big, noisy, colourful, crowd, made up largely of Asian origin, on a sunny afternoon at Edgbaston, Richa came out to bat when India desperately wanted her to fire. She did.
Her magnificent onslaught (34, 17b, 5×4, 1×6) turned India’s score from a potentially competitive one into a winning total against Pakistan. The less resourceful of the Asian neighbours was always going to find the target of 171 daunting.
So it proved. The Women in Blue won by 64 runs, to start their campaign on a satisfactory note.
In the Group of Death, in which they have to face Australia and South Africa, they could not have afforded a hiccup in the opening match. But, the innings had wobbled, and the PowerPlay belonged to Pakistan.
It required all the skills and experience of India’s most accomplished batters, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (68, 44b, 9×4, 2×6) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (36, 35b, 4×4) to steady the ship, and to set the stage for Richa. The innings had begun in rousing fashion though, with Shafali Verma hitting the first ball for six, as she effortlessly lofted Sadia Iqbal over long-off.
The left-arm spinner, however, had her revenge in the same over. Shafali backed away to produce a faint edge, which was smartly taken behind the stumps by Muneeba Ali. Before long, Jemimah Rodrigues played too early against Tasmia Rubab, skying one to extra cover, where Natalia Pervaiz fumbled but completed the catch on her second attempt, and threw ball down hard to the ground, as if admonishing it for causing her, and teammates, a few anxious seconds.
The Indian dugout must have now felt a bit worried. But Smriti, who had come to the tournament in not-so great touch, and Harmanpreet calmed those nerves. They knew they needed to bat deep on a surface that wasn’t quite a belter, against an attack that was testing.
The duo put on 91 for the third wicket. Smriti, who was dropped on a couple of occasions, may not have been at her very best, though she did play some of those lovely shots you have grown accustomed to.The team management must be pretty pleased that its best batter has started well.
Smriti’s dismissal triggered a collapse though, as India slid from 109 for two to 123 for five. At this stage, Pakistan may have sensed an opportunity. But Richa and Deepti Sharma took 23 off Tasmia in the 19th over.
In reply, Pakistan began well, with Muneeba (41, 35b, 5×4) and Gull Feroza adding 38 for the opening wicket.
That would prove by far the biggest partnership of the innings as India bowled and fielded with vigour, not even allowing its familiar rival any hope.
Deepti led the Indian attack in admirable fashion, finished with exemplary figures of five for 10.
The teams:
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (Capt.), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Shreyanka Patil
Pakistan: Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Ayesha Zafar, Saira Jabeen, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Fatima Sana (Capt.), Rameen Shamim, Nashra Sandhu, Tasmia Rubab, Sadia Iqbal.
