IND-W vs AUS-W Test: White-ball professional Richa Ghosh will get memorable first style of Test cricket with dad and mom watching alongside

As Richa Ghosh pushed a Kim Garth full-length supply in direction of mid-off for a single and introduced up a maiden half-century on her debut Test, the Indian dugout gave her a standing ovation.

Watching the sport from the President’s field on the Wankhede Stadium right here, it was an emotional second for Manabendra Ghosh, his spouse Swapna and elder daughter Somashree, who had travelled all the way in which from Siliguri in West Bengal to look at their youthful daughter Richa don the whites.

Richa Ghosh along with her dad and mom Manabendra and Swapna Ghosh
| Photo Credit:
Emmanual Yogini

All of 20 years of age, Richa is already an everyday in India’s limited-overs sides, and is taken into account one of many promising finishers within the shortest format of the sport. However, she needed to heat the bench within the one-off Test towards England final week. An alternative got here her approach after Shubha Satheesh was dominated out of the encounter towards Australia because of a finger fracture.

ALSO READ: IND-W vs AUS-W Test: Deepti, Vastrakar prolong India’s lead with century stand on Day 2

A dream come true

On Wednesday night, Richa was knowledgeable about her debut by head coach Amol Muzumdar, however the teenager ensured that she was not overwhelmed.

“I was very happy since I was getting a chance. But I did not allow it to put any pressure on me. I approached this game with the idea that it is yet another match for me and that we have played ODIs and T20Is against Australia in the past. But I wanted to give myself time (in the middle) since this is about Test cricket,” Richa mentioned.

Becoming the second participant from Siliguri to play Test cricket for India —Wriddhiman Saha being the primary — Richa didn’t disappoint. She stitched a hundred-plus partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues to information India to a snug place towards the Aussies.

“It is Test cricket, it is going to test you. I would have had to come out of my comfort zone and today was the day,” Richa mentioned.

ALSO READ: IND vs AUS one-off Test: Perseverance, thy identify is Pooja Vastrakar

Watching her dad and mom cheer for her made it troublesome for Richa to manage her feelings. After all, her journey within the recreation started below the watchful eyes of her father and coach Manabendra. She nursed desires of taking part in purple ball cricket all by way of her formatives years, one which got here true on this week.

“My father is very happy. Like every other parent, he wanted his daughter to get a Test cap which is a huge thing. It is true that he was not able to express it but despite him not saying anything, what we got to see was a big thing for me. He is here with me and that is the most important thing for me,” she mentioned.

Richa Ghosh along with her dad and mom
| Photo Credit:
Sportzpics for BCCI

It hasn’t been a simple journey for the stumper-batter. After gauging her curiosity for the game, Manabendra enrolled her on the native Bagha Jatin Club, the place she was the one lady. Richa made the a lot of the alternative and was ultimately referred to as up for the senior Bengal camp in 2012-13. Thereafter, she would journey to Kolkata for state camps the place she interacted with Saha and Jhulan Goswami, who have been joyful to information her in each approach attainable.

Siliguri sentiments

Saha understands Richa’s predicament higher than most. After all he made his personal Test debut towards South Africa in Nagpur 13 years in the past, coming in as a substitute for an injured Rohit Sharma. The 39-year-old was joyful to see Richa hold her calm on such a momentous occassion.

“It’s a huge thing for Richa and Bengal cricket. She was out of form for a while and was even left out on a few occasions. But it’s really good to see her coming back into the team and breaking into the Test team. It’s a huge honour,” Saha advised  Sportstar.

Saha remembers being impressed with what he noticed of Richa the batter in a camp just a few years in the past.
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR Okay / The Hindu

“Both of us hail from Siliguri, so we know the challenge that a cricketer has to go through to come this far. It’s not easy. First, you need to impress at the district level, and only then can you come to Kolkata and play at the senior level. She has crossed all the hurdles, so, it has been an incredible journey and I hope that it inspires more girls to take up the sport,” Saha added.

Saha remembers being impressed with what he noticed of Richa the batter in a camp just a few years in the past.

“She could play shots, but I felt that she could improve a lot more in wicketkeeping. I gave her a few suggestions,” Saha mentioned. In 2021, when the lads’s senior workforce toured England, the ladies’s aspect additionally was there on a tour and Richa was a part of it. “I watched a few sessions and thought that she needed some more work to be successful at the international level. She was a keen listener and working on those suggestions…”

ALSO READ: The case for extra girls’s Tests — lengthy overdue however not as simple

Being the seasoned campaigner that he’s, Saha has just a few phrases of recommendation for his younger statemate.

“If you want to play for the country for a long time, you need to be consistent. Ups and downs are part of a player’s career, but when you are having a good run, you need to have a long streak. That’s the main thing,” Saha mentioned.

“If you can follow this, it helps you overcome challenging times. Another important aspect for a young cricketer is to make sure that you don’t get carried away. There will be times when you’ll enjoy all the attention, but you also need to handle the difficult times. That’s the challenge…”

It has been a memorable Test debut for Richa. Time to maintain the momentum going.