Richa Ghosh, the wicketkeeper-batter from Siliguri, debuted in an international Test match for Team India on Thursday.
Richa, 20, is playing in the one-off Test match between India and Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
From Siliguri, she is the second cricketer after Wriddhiman Saha to represent the Indian Test team. Both Richa and Wriddhiman are wicket-keepers and batters.
“This is something one can’t express in words. Playing a Test match for one's country is a dream for every cricketer. After so much struggle, she (Richa) has finally achieved it,” Manabendra Ghosh, Richa's proud father, told The Telegraph over the phone from Mumbai on Thursday.
Ghosh is currently at Wankhede with his wife Swapna and Richa’s elder sister Shomasree to cheer for Team India.
As Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of Indian women’s team, presented the India Cap (cap-94) to the Siliguri girl, the proud parents, present at the ground, "witnessed history", said Richa's father.
Though Richa has played 50 matches for her country in limited-over editions of the game and represented India in two ICC World Cups, this is the first time that she has been selected for a Test match.
Richa is also a regular player in franchise league matches, both at home and abroad.
“It is always necessary for a cricketer to get proper infrastructural support at the beginning of the career. It helps to build a strong foundation,” added her father.
Richa, however, is from a city where there is no proper infrastructure for cricket.
Manoj Verma, the cricket secretary of Siliguri Mahakuma Krira Parishad, the subdivisional sports body of Siliguri, said Richa's success would make them more vocal in their demand for better cricketing infrastructure in Siliguri.
“It is a big achievement for any cricketer to represent the country in all formats of the game. Richa's success has more strongly established the need for a permanent cricket infrastructure in the city,” Verma said.
Kuntal Goswami, the general secretary of the sports body, praised Richa.
“This is a proud movement for all Siliguri residents,” he said. "We hope Richa plays well in this Test match and in the days to come."
