Stressing on how clarity of her role helped unlock her big hitting game, World Cup winning sensation Richa Ghosh, said she was told her job was to finish well. “Amol sir (Head Coach Amol Muzumdar) made everyone’s role in the team very clear. For me, it was simple, play fearless cricket, look for the big shots, and finish the innings strongly. He also assured me that it was okay to take a little time to settle in. That trust he showed, believing I could pull off the big hits under pressure, helped me immensely,” Ghosh told JioStar show ‘Follow The Blues’, while speaking of her batting.
Ghosh’s cameos were bigly responsible for India getting to some big totals after the late innings impetus she provided. However preparation went back far into last two years. “Before the World Cup, I really focused on spending more time at the crease and building my innings. Whenever I got the chance to play, I concentrated on playing ground shots and making sure I didn’t throw my wicket away. For me, it was all about keeping the scoreboard ticking with singles and holding up one end. That’s what I worked on the most,” she said.
Ghosh planned to use her higher strike rate to pile pressure on opposition. “My main job was to finish innings strongly by scoring quickly in the final overs. Whenever I got the chance to bat, my focus was on applying the finishing touches. I aimed to maintain a high strike-rate and put pressure on the opposition bowlers. Scoring those extra runs reduces the pressure on our team and gives us a better chance to win,” she explained.
It will be a trait that comes in handy next year in the T20 World Cup. She views deliveries as binaries – if hittable, hit. If the ball is good, then scoot to take single. Keep scoreboard ticking. Not complicating is her quality. “My mindset is simple. Whenever I come to bat, if the ball is in my zone, I go for my shots. Hitting a boundary or a six in a pressure situation really helps release the tension. If it’s a good delivery, I’m happy to take a single and target the next ball. That’s the method I stick to,” she said.
Hailing from West Bengal where the talismanic Jhulan Goswami comes from, Ghosh would pay her ode to the legend. “Jhulan didi has played a huge role in my journey. She was my Captain when I made my domestic debut for Bengal. She’s always been there to guide me, even when I started playing for India. She taught me how to adapt my game to different situations and shared invaluable advice on improving as a player. I’m truly grateful for her support,” she said.
She lauded the team dynamic where unity blew away outside noise of tensions especially when three losses mounted. “Honestly, our dressing room atmosphere was fantastic from day one. Even during tough phases, no one was afraid because we always had each other’s backs. That support system was our biggest strength. And when we finally won the final, the feeling was just incredible, completely different and absolutely unforgettable,” she told JioHotstar.
Ghosh recalled how the team song came about and how it had been bubbling away within their hearts for years. “We actually created our team song a few series ago. It was something we really wanted. But we made a pact to only sing it, and reveal it to the world after we lifted the World Cup trophy. Every player contributed to it in some way. So, the moment we won at the DY Patil Stadium, we just knew we had to sing it right there on the ground. It was a magical feeling,” she said.
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Though they had visualised the winning a day before, the euphoric moment of winning the World Cup final had left them speechless. “When those final South African wickets started falling, and Harman didi (Captain Harmanpreet Kaur) took that last catch, we all just scattered in different directions. We were so overwhelmed that we didn’t even know how to celebrate! Harman didi was absolutely speechless, just pure joy. And when Deepti didi got that last wicket, even she couldn’t process that we’d actually won the World Cup. We were all just living in that moment, soaking it all in before it even sank in,” she ended.
