Richa Ghosh wary of Netherlands bowlers, India not willing to undermine debutants

Here's the full transcript of Richa Ghosh's press conference before the India vs Netherlands match. 

[Reporter:]

So, Richa, how much that first innings is going to help you going into the tournament? A big crucial knock when India was in trouble. So how much confidence are you taking it from going into the tournament, the rest of the tournament? 

[Richa Ghosh:]

I think it will help me really good, like, because it gave me confidence. And I think I get the confidence from the practice match only, the warm-up games we played. And I'm looking forward to it.

[Reporter:]

First day, well done the other night— other day. When you aren't kind of getting the kind of runs you want and you're going through a relatively lean patch, how do you deal with that? Because in sport, such challenges and adversity will come in the life of any player, and that warm-up match that you just mentioned turned it around for you. But how do you mentally make that adjustment? Do you speak to teammates. How does Richa Ghosh handle that kind of adversity? 

[Richa Ghosh:]

Yes, that's true, but, at that time I just stay focused on my game because, I know I'm not getting that time run, but, I just what I can do, I'm thinking on that, like practice. I can work more on my drills and all, and, I'm just focused on it's okay if I'm not getting in, but I'm in a good touch that time, but I'm not getting runs. So it's happened, and I spoke to Harry and all the seniors – Smirti and sir too, that what should I do? And they said like, don't worry, just play your game and just focus. That's it. And that helped me also. 

[Reporter:]

Richa, your natural game is of course the attacking game, but on that warm-up game, we have seen a different dimension of your game at the back. You rescued the team. So do you think that particular innings helped you a lot coming back to - getting where you back the confidence? And you showed - that helped you in the game against Pakistan? 

[Richa Ghosh:]

Yes, that inning helped me to come back and get in the form. And I think that game only gives me more confidence before the Pakistan game. And yes, because that situation is different, like already wicket is down and I have so many overs, so I can stay there and play my own game. So that's why, I get the confident there. 

[Reporter:]

You've not played the Netherlands before, so what have you been able to learn about them since watching their warm-up games in their first match of the tournament? And what is it like playing a team that you don't come across very often? 

[Richa Ghosh:]

I saw them before the World Cup – in the Pakistan match. I saw their games. They have good bowlers and for them it's the first time, right? So they're doing really well and every team is like— they can do well and I think they've done really well. That's why they're here and we are not taking any team easily and we're just looking forward. 

[Reporter:]

Even in the last World Cup, we saw that you batting many times with someone like Deepti Sharma, and in the last match you also saw that. So how has been the experience of you batting along with her and the partnership? Because it's quite vital for India. 

[Richa Ghosh:]

I think not only India team, I played with her in Bengal as well. She came for play domestic as well there, and we had a great conversation. On the field, out of the field as well. So that's helped us, and we both know what we can do, and we know that if ball is not there, we can take - rotate strike, or we can give both of a chance to hit big shots. And that helped us, like, we are— we really know each other really well. 

[Reporter:]

In T20 players often say that it's about getting specialized roles. So what kind of a role have you been given by the team management? Obviously as a finisher, is it about the batting position or entry point, that around 12th over or 14th over, what kind of position you will go into bat? 

[Richa Ghosh:]

It depends on the match, and I think it depends on the coaches what they want me, because my role is like completely to finish the match. So whenever they need, I will go there, and I think that's - I am looking forward to whenever they need me, I will go there and have a score runs. 

[Reporter:]

We were doing some quantitative research and analysis and taking your warm-up match against England and this one. The first few balls, the moment you are there for the first few balls, even if it's, say, 9 of 9 or whatever, then there is a massive acceleration that's happening. Is it kind of helpful in that way to get your eye in for the first few rather than having to come in the 17th, say, and start tonking the ball from ball 1. Does that kind of help you to get your eye in despite it being a T20 format for the first few balls? 

[Richa Ghosh:]

I think in this thing Harry helped me a lot because when I and Harry batted and that time she told me to take your time. There was no hurry to go and strike the ball from the first ball. You take your time and if you stay in the crease, you can score lots of runs. So I think I just remember that thing and I just play like that.

[Reporter:]

Richa, you've become not just India's but one of the best finishers in women's cricket, and I remember watching you at the WPL. So how much has that experience in WPL helped you become the finisher that you have become, or have there been some other factors as well in your development as a finisher? 

[Richa Ghosh:]

WPL helped - especially me a lot because there was different players and different team and we playing domestic as well, domestic players and plus international players. So that mix-up helped me especially. And in my team, Elyse Perry was there, then Sophie Devine, Smriti  was the captain, and other also there who I follow them like what they're doing. How they take the match. So that's helped me a lot to understand how I can do for the team and what can I do for the team. I think experience-wise, I got the experience from there as well because Perry is a good, you know - from middle order, how she play and finish it off. Devine in the powerplay, how she power it. So I think that's helped me to understand more how I can plan my game. So I think that's helped me a lot. 

[Reporter:]

How important is it to start well in the T20 World Cup and get close to an ideal 11 because we saw in the last T20 World Cup when India lost to New Zealand in the opening match, that changed things for both teams from there. And ODI World Cup last year, obviously you have more games to bounce back. So how important is it this time to start well having won the first game? 

[Richa Ghosh:]

I think it's always a start where it always gives you a confidence, and we are taking forwards like one game at a time. So I will take the confidence from the first game to the second game, and we will looking forward to like one game at one time.