Will you bowl with the new ball ? Yes
Can you bowl at the depth and cut down the run flow? Yes
The Partnership is growing strong, can you come for a quick spell and break it? Yes
Jhulan Goswami has been hailed as one of the most versatile bowlers in world cricket. Having been around the international circuit for more than a decade and half, the seamer has just got better with age. The lanky pacer has been constantly hitting the headlines by making records tumble. It was again a very normal day by her standards, as she made history by becoming the first woman to bag 300 international wickets in the ongoing bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka.The Indian eves are currently battling it out at the Emerald Isle. They are scheduled to play three one day internationals and 5 T20I’s.
Hailing from a small town in West Bengal, Jhulan had to travel for almost 150 kms to attend practice sessions. Her passion for the sport pushed her to overcome the obstacles. Jhulan was charmed by Belinda Clark’s victory lap in the 1997 Women’s World Cup final at the Eden Gardens. A young Jhulan was present at the venue as a ball girl. That was the moment which persuaded her to dream about donning the blue jersey.
Soon, Jhulan made her ODI and test debut in 2002. However, Indian Cricket witnessed the best of Jhulan in 2006-07 when she scored a fifty against a vicious English bowling attack and bagged 10 wickets for 78 runs which remains as her best figures till date. In the same season, she won the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award.
Also Read : Interview with Jhulan Goswami – Champ from Chakdah
The speedster has also led the team in 25 One Day Internationals. The Indian Government acknowledged her efforts on the field by conferring the Arjuna award in 2010. Jhulan also became the the second woman Cricketer to receive the Padma Shri in 2012 after Diana Edulji. In April this year, she was also honoured with a postage stamp to celebrate her achievements in Cricket.
The passionate bowler claims that she still remembers all her scalps till date. The Indian ODI skipper, Mithali Raj has had a long standing relationship with the seamer and has lauded her efforts to stay fit for a long career spanning over 15 years. “Young pacers should learn from her and her disciplined workouts and training sessions. Any skipper would love to have a player of such stature in the side” said Mithali when questioned about her rapport with Jhulan.
The Bengal seamer recently announced her retirement from T20I’s hinting that she is not fit enough for the fastest format. She will however continue to play in the longer formats of the sport. Jhulan has been a part of World Cup finals on two occasions but ended up on the losing side. Currently, she wants to focus on contributing to the team when she represents India in the other two formats.