Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Richa Ghosh has credited Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and head coach Amol Muzumdar for continuing to back her and keeping faith in her ability to bounce back. On Sunday, Richa played a crucial cameo of 34 runs to help India secure a comprehensive 64-run win over Pakistan at Edgbaston in Birmingham and kick off their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign in style.
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Richa entered the tournament on the back of a lean run with the bat, having scored just 140 runs from 10 innings at an average of 23.33 without registering a single half-century. The youngster revealed that during her difficult phase, she focused on improving through practice sessions and drills, while also drawing confidence from the support of her seniors.
‘THE ADVICE HELPED ME STAY POSITIVE’
According to Richa, Mandhana, Harmanpreet and Muzumdar encouraged her to stay patient, trust her process and continue playing her natural game rather than worrying about the lack of runs.
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“Yes, that’s true. But at that time, I just focused on my game because I knew I wasn’t getting enough time in the middle. Instead of worrying about that, I concentrated on what I could control. I worked harder in practice, focused on my drills and kept improving my game,” Richa told the reporters.
“I told myself that it was okay if I wasn’t getting opportunities because I was batting well and felt in good touch, even though the runs weren’t coming. These things happen in cricket. I also spoke to Harry and some of the seniors, including Smriti and the coach, about what I should do. They all told me not to worry, to keep playing my natural game and stay focused.
“That advice really helped me. It allowed me to stay positive, trust the process and continue working hard without putting too much pressure on myself,” Richa added.
Before the World Cup, Richa struggled in the warm-up match against West Indies where she bagged a duck. But she made amends with a 68-run knock against England in the second warm-up match, although India lost the match.
Richa will now look to build on her form when India lock horns with the Netherlands on Wednesday, June 17 at the Headingley in Leeds.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
