When the experiment became a statement

Even before the Powerplay was complete, RCB's top four were back in the dugout. The attempt to hold Richa Ghosh's power-hitting for later in the innings didn't work for too long. She had to walk in at No. 6, with three balls of field restrictions still on. The real test of RCB's audacious experiment was finally on: Radha Yadav, at No. 5, to give company to Richa in the middle.

In the opening game, a Nadine de Klerk special saved RCB from defeat. In the second, Grace Harris's assault upfront ensured their middle order experiment didn't require a trial. On Friday, there was no escape. Down to 43/4, it was time to unveil what only the RCB team management knew—that Radha Yadav was a worthy No. 5 for a stage as elite as the Women's Premier League.

For a player who has batted at No. 8 or below in 39 out of 50 international and WPL games coming into the tournament, Radha was left with big boots to fill in the absence of the injured Pooja Vastrakar. Having played the middle order role for nearly a decade for Baroda, Radha had long valued her ability with the bat. This season it was time to test it out in an open-match scenario and vindicate the faith shown in her.

The first delivery she received, full from Renuka Singh, was confidently driven to mid off. The next was knocked towards mid on. And then, one punched to covers. None yielded a run, but with wickets falling quickly, she had to restore balance and keep a check on her aggressive instincts. She pulled, flicked off the pads, and was comfortable with the drives.

For 10 balls, she held back, scoring only three runs. Then, against Georgia Wareham, she carved one through point and followed it by sending a loopy delivery straight down the track for a six.

While Richa was looking to bide her time, Radha started to move on. Even as boundaries began to flow, she wasn't experimenting with danger. Spinners and pacers kept offering width for her to free her arms and play through the offside.

Gujarat Giants head coach Michael Klinger admitted the ploy to bowl wide was a faulty one. A similar tactic was employed even by Renuka Singh, much after the movement had become negligible with the older ball.

Despite having a couple more options in the left-arm spin duo of Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Tanuja Kanwar, Ash Gardner employed only five bowlers to break the partnership, none of whom caused significant trouble. Radha was able to keep scoring freely without having to overhit. For a good part of her early innings, she didn't take the aerial route and was happy to keep drives and flicks on the ground, relying on finding gaps.

Even when boundaries dried up briefly, she could rotate strike without chewing up dot deliveries. As the partnership flourished, Richa started picking up pace from the other end, while Radha shifted to toying with the field.

"We knew she was a good player," Klinger said. "Outside the power play, we just didn't quite get our lines right. Once the ball stopped swinging, we weren't able to keep stumps in play and gave a lot of free-fours with width. So that's something we obviously need to rectify."

After bowling wide outside off wasn't helping, they moved to cramming her on the legside. Radha countered by giving herself room and crafting the ball towards vacant regions on the offside. She even shuffled across and hit the ball past the keeper.

As her innings progressed, Radha smoothly shifted gears. En route to becoming only the third Indian batter to register a half-century this season, she displayed the full range: cautiously protecting the wicket when needed, rotating strike and picking regular boundaries through the middle overs, and then providing the surge once she crossed 35. She used the breadth of the crease well to counter field settings and offset bowlers' plans.

She drove, cut, pulled, and went down the ground with the natural ease of a No. 5 batter. She did enjoy some luck, being put down twice by Ash Gardner and Bharti Fulmali. Nonetheless, that takes little away from her fine exhibition of batting.

"The first ball I faced, I middled," Radha explained. "I then knew I have done this before for the state and for India A. So I had that confidence. But to do it here for the first time on this stage gives me a lot of joy. [When I was batting with Richa] she told me 'be calm, see what the opposition were doing, dot balls will come, don't worry. We can capitalise later on as we have the shots'.

"The conversation I had with Richa was very crucial. It wasn't an easy situation to bat in as we had lost four wickets. I will give full credit to Richa for the way she spoke to me. I know I have the shots, the game, the temperament and everything but the way Richa passed on the confidence was very important."

Radha stitched a game-changing partnership of 105 runs in only 66 balls with Richa, followed by a short blitz from Nadine de Klerk, which laid the foundation for RCB's 32-run win.

Explaining the reason to play Radha so high in the order, skipper Smriti Mandhana said, "She's always played that role for the state team, and she's always done well, even when India A toured Australia. We knew that she always bats at that number, and we always look at her as a finisher.

"When we lost out on Pooja for the first four-five matches, the easiest swap was Radha because she's done that for the state team. WPL is an Indian league, and if someone's batted at that order in state cricket, you should back them to do that."

The experiment with Radha may not seem like an 'experiment' anymore given how she batted, but the lop-sided balance of the side is still striking. RCB's decision to persist with left-arm spinner Linsey Smith to bowl in the powerplay at the cost of some muscle in the top-order remains a mystery.

Smith has not been able to create much impact yet. But much like Radha's batting, maybe there's something the RCB team management is trusting with the English spinner as well. Whether it pays off or backfires, three wins in three games—and a place at the top of the table—is enough to validate their planning for now.

After all, when the spotlight, opportunity, and pressure converged, Radha Yadav was ready to announce herself as RCB's able No. 5.