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Two innings, one unforgettable night of grit
India’s Richa Ghosh and South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk turned a group stage match at the ODI World Cup into an extraordinary contest of resolve
Visakhapatnam: Thursday night belonged to two batters on opposite sides. Each scripting an innings that will linger long in memory. In Visakhapatnam, where the humidity hung heavy and pressure mounted, India’s Richa Ghosh and South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk turned a group stage match at the ODI World Cup into an extraordinary contest of resolve.
They both batted at No. 8 and spoke the same language of determination, but their knocks came from very different positions. While Richa set up India’s total with power and maturity, de Klerk rescued South Africa from the brink with a well-planned heist.
Ghosh: Setting the stage
Richa had given Visakhapatnam its first glimpse of defiance that night. She is often labelled India’s X-factor. And for good reason. Coming into the World Cup, she hadn’t been in the best of form — 60 runs at an average of 20 in three ODIs against Australia, 50 at an average of 25 in three against England. But for players like her, form, match-ups and bowling plans often end up being just words. When she is in the zone, the rest is just noise.
Realising the need to build a partnership before she could take the attack on, Richa combined with Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana. “If the ball was in my zone, I went for the shot; if not, I tried to rotate the strike as much as possible because the partnership was most important,” she said after the match.
The demolition at the death was particularly daring. In the 42nd over, she cracked de Klerk’s composure first. A slot ball outside off — she bent low and whipped it over the cow corner for a 77m six. Next, she edged one past third man for four. Another flatter delivery outside off? Reverse-swept over short third. Marizanne Kapp tried mixing things up and the result was a slower ball slapped through cover. It didn’t matter what they tried. Richa had entered a batting trance.
“I don’t think much about my batting order. It doesn’t matter whether I come in early or late. Whatever opportunity I get, I try to make the most of it.”
There is a case to be made for Richa, one of India’s most impactful batters, to bat further up. For the second match in a row, Richa’s batting position seems like it needs rethinking. But, respectful of the team’s expectations, she isn’t too fussed about it. She believes she can get the job done, no matter where she bats. Even in defeat, her self-belief stands out.
De Klerk: The rescue
When de Klerk walked out to bat, the situation was grim. South Africa were 142/6 with an intimidating gaze of nearly 12,500 spectators over them. India’s spinners had tightened their web and the remaining chase of 110 off 85 balls looked almost out of reach.
When one prepares for South Africa, the likes of Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits and Marizanne Kapp are the bigger names to be wary of.
“This World Cup is all about fight and character at the end of the day.” Despite a subtle warning de Klerk had already sent out on the eve of the match, she probably wasn’t the match-winner India had anticipated but by the end of it, her name is likely to be in the list.
As she rebuilt her innings alongside Chloe Tryon, you could sense that there was no urgency, no blind hitting. It was almost too calm, giving the impression that India had it all under control. But every run, every over survived, was probably a small victory for South Africa.
“It got tricky when Chloe got out,” de Klerk said later, but in that moment, she simply chose to fight. Her field hockey background came through in flashes — the instinctive punches into awkward gaps, the late deflections that pierced through fielders. Her natural hitting power was evident but it never looked like it was brute force — the focus was to time, not overhit.
“Simplicity is everything,” she said, “Today was just about really backing myself.”
As the overs went by, she began to open up. The pitch eased and India were forced to bring back their seamers. Little did they know that it was a moment de Klerk had identified as a phase to exploit and had been waiting for. Suddenly, the required rate no longer seemed impossible. The scoreboard kept moving, the pressure shifted and the belief grew stronger.
As India inched closer to the fag-end of the overs, de Klerk was in complete command. When the winning runs came, she stood unbeaten on 84 off 54 — a record-breaking knock from No. 8, the highest in a successful women’s ODI chase.
An act of resilience and of faith in her own hitting prowess and timing, honed through hours in the training and years of backing her natural aggression. “You just have to stick it out,” she said. de Klerk did more than just stick it out.
De Klerk and Ghosh ended up with different results – one walked back with a heartbreak, the other with glory but both innings shared the common thread of belief and the rising to the occasion under pressure. Together, they showcased what grit looked like from both ends of the contest.
