Richa Ghosh's Late Surge Propels India After Top Order Wobbles

Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues have a tournament average of 20 and 18 respectively so far, having batted twice each. Smriti Mandhana, India's form batter leading in, has a tally of 31. Even Pratika Rawal, their latest top-order smash hit, hasn't yet struck a 40 at this World Cup.

And yet twice India have clambered their way to good totals against decent attacks, scrambling runs on pitches opponents have nosedived on. They were 124 for 6 in Guwahati against Sri Lanka, 159 for 5 against Pakistan. Without a half-century from any of their top five, they are two wins up in a World Cup that hasn't pushed them yet.

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It's the multi-dimensional cricketers in the lower middle order that have prospered. In these two games they've rebuilt at times, consolidated at others, and attacked successfully at the death. They've suggested strongly, that this India World Cup team has more gears, and more depth than most that have come before.

Deepti Sharma has been at the centre of India's dynamism. Having made a busy 53 against Sri Lanka, she struck a more measured 25 off 33 against Pakistan, on a Khettarama surface no batter looked truly comfortable on.

Clearly there is variety here already, but she has yet another mode, thanks to the improvements she has made to her hitting, partly at the WPL. In an extremely high-scoring match against Australia a little over two weeks ago, Deepti clobbered two sixes and five fours to score 72 off 58.

Deepti had Sneh Rana for a co-conspirator in both innings at the World Cup, but faced with varying challenges, produced excellent partnerships, both worth 42. Against Sri Lanka, the two had come together with only 21 balls left in the innings, and had thumped their way to the close, Rana hitting 28 not out off 15 balls.

Against Pakistan, they were joined with 15 overs left to play and were required to take the innings deep. This 42-run stand took 56 balls - Rana scoring her 20 off 33 balls. Rana too is riding a WPL high, her two rapid, finishing innings at this year's tournament giving India's selectors a little more confidence in picking her. She had made useful batting contributions in that series against Australia as well, hitting 24 and 35.

But against Pakistan it was Richa Ghosh who produced India's best innings, raising them to an imposing 248 when they had once been at risk of being restricted to 220. She came in with 34 balls to go and got stuck at the other end while Diana Baig bowled a wicket maiden. But roughly midway through the 47th over, she picked a Fatima Sana slower ball and launched it over wide long-on.

There was plenty more power in her 35 not out off 20 balls, particularly against Baig, whose full tosses she smoked down the ground for a four then a six. Also against Baig, but in the final over, Ghosh showcased newer elements of her game - a reverse swat that brought four runs over short third.

All three of these cricketers also offer substantial skills when India bowl. Deepti claimed 3 for 45, dismissing Pakistan's best batter Sidra Amin. Rana took 2 for 38 at a ground she has dominated in this year. Shree Charani didn't get wickets against Pakistan, but had taken 2 for 37 against Sri Lanka.

Throw these three spinners together with a batting order that is getting the team to good totals without big innings from the bigger names, and you have an outfit that is beginning to look ominous at a home World Cup. They will face higher-rated opposition when they return to India, but they have unlocked a new level of versatility.