One-drop Ghosh has a big role in India's build-up to 2025 ODI World Cup

It's unusual to see Richa Ghosh walking out at No. 3 in an ODI, that too for the second time in a row. But Amol Muzumdar, in his second white-ball series as head coach with the women's side, thinks "that's the best spot for her". Ghosh did her cause at No. 3 no harm with a career-best 96 against Australia in the second ODI on Saturday - India lost the game by three runs, but it was a "fantastic knock", according to Muzumdar.

"What a knock it was under pressure at No. 3, a new position for her, and she has proven why she has been spoken about so highly," Muzumdar said after the game. "Her talent speaks for herself. I think, probably a hundred would have been an appropriate one for her. But, unfortunately, she got out. But it was a special knock."

It might not be a short-term experiment either.

"So, the batting order has been Richa at No. 3, our No. 4 is Harman [Harmanpreet Kaur] and No. 5 is Jemi [Jemimah Rodrigues]," Muzumdar said. "Unfortunately, today, Harman wasn't feeling too well. That's why she was dropped [down]. Otherwise, there is no up and down. Sometimes, in a game as tough as this, you need to address those situations therein. But Richa has been at No. 3.

"We believe that she can be a good top-order player. We believe in her talent and you have seen what kind of shots she can play. She can use the first ten overs and play according to the situation. That's the best spot for her. At least now, we feel that Richa at No. 3 is a very good choice."

She has displayed her power-hitting skills from the time she started donning the blue jersey, but that was as a finisher in both ODIs and T20Is. In her 18 ODI innings, Ghosh has batted at No. 5 or lower 15 times. There was one appearance - and a duck - at No. 4 against Australia in Mackay in September 2021, but this is the first time she has batted at the top of the order.

Given that India are the hosts of the 2025 ODI World Cup and there is no pressure on them to collect Women's Championship points, there is a sense that Harmanpreet Kaur and Muzumdar want to start afresh. They handed debuts to spinners Saika Ishaque and Shreyanka Patil in this series. In the batting line-up, Ghosh was handed a new role.

To give context to India's No. 3 position in ODIs, they have tried six players including Ghosh since the start of 2020, with Yastika Bhatia playing there the most of number of times: 18. Punam Raut played in the position six times in 2021. Both Deepti Sharma and former captain Mithali Raj have played three times each, and Jemimah Rodrigues has batted two times in 2021. Of course, since 2018, India have had four head coaches, all with four different styles and approaches.

With Muzumdar, Ghosh can hope to continue batting in the top order in Tests, too, whenever they come around. That she has the skills and temperament for the long grind was visible in her debut Test against Australia last week when she made 52 off 104 balls - from No. 4, after Sneh Rana came in at one-down as a nightwatch.

On Saturday, Deepti Sharma's first five-wicket haul against Australia in ODIs had kept the target down to 259. India lost Bhatia in the seventh over of the chase and Ghosh walked out.

She looked a bit unsettled at first, playing cautiously to get to 29 off her first 50 deliveries. There was dew but Australia's spinners were tossing the ball up to make the best use of the conditions on offer, getting the ball to turn. It kept the batters guessing, with some balls turning away and some going flatter. At the halfway stage of the chase, India needed 145 runs from the remaining 25 overs with Rodrigues and Ghosh in the middle.

Ghosh was dropped twice but she did her job, getting to her third ODI fifty in 74 balls. Signs of cramps began after the 36th over, but she soldiered on.

Not long after, she was visibly struggling to even stand straight. Out of options, she activated her finisher mode after the 37th over and smashed seven fours in no time - clean and just what Ghosh is known for. However, when India's equation came down to 40 off 38, Annabel Sutherland, who starred with three wickets, dismissed Ghosh as she went for a cover drive only to be caught by Phoebe Litchfield in the ring.

Though Ghosh is not used to batting long in international cricket, her statement knock, just shy of a maiden hundred, erased the doubts about her temperament if there were any.

Two games are a fairly small sample size to say anything. But, at least for the foreseeable future, it might not be too unusual to see Ghosh walk out at No. 3. What she does with the opportunity is up to her, but for now, Harmanpreet and Muzumdar will hope Ghosh repays their faith in her in the lead-up to the next ODI World Cup, in 2025 at home.