Wearing the Indian jersey in an ultimate feeling – Jhulan Goswami

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Jhulan Goswami is a name which is quite relatable to the Indian Women’s cricket team for the last two decades, and who is set to end her tenure of international cricket for India.

Jhulan Goswami has given remarkable services to the Indian women’s cricket team, which is well written and she is a legend in World cricket over no debate.

She has been a brilliant fast-bowler for India who had cover her miles in different parts of the world to give a final run against England.

Jhulan’s portfolio for India includes 353 international wickets and in the ODIs, she tops the list with some margin. Sheer pace followed by consistent line and length over the past few years and she is ending her colorful career on a high represents her strong persona and willpower.

“When I started, I never thought about playing for such a long time. It was a great experience that I’ve enjoyed and learnt from,”

Jhulan said at the online press conference on Friday (September 23) ahead of the third ODI against England, which will be her last international appearance.

Reminding her memories of her career, Jhulan mentioned her training days and she felt when she was called to play for India for the very first time.

“Those days we used to represent the Women’s cricket association of India, and since 2006 we’ve been under the umbrella of the BCCI. It was a different feeling. I never thought about it… being from Chakdaha, coming back to train and every day I was going two and half hours on a one-way journey.

“Do training, come back and then again the next morning I’d go. I think the best memories when I first represented India – getting my India cap from my captain was an amazing feeling and bowling that first over in my career – that was the most important moment in my life.”

The World Cup held in India in 1997made her dream come true and also made another legend in Mithali Raj. Together they have taken Indian women’s cricket to other heights in the past two decades.

“The first time I saw the Women’s World Cup final was in Eden Gardens between Australia and New Zealand as a ball girl. And that day I dreamt that someday I might represent my country. That is how I started… put a lot of effort into my country and that’s the biggest moment in my life.

ё”From U19 days we’ve (Mithali) been playing together so we have a great relationship on and off the field. But it was just to bring the women’s Indian team to a different level – what it was before and what it is today are different. That’s the journey and we believed that we could change the face of women’s cricket, we believed that we could be a top 3-4 team in the world. It was not a one-day process,” Jhulan said about Mithali.

Having achieved so much along with her name, a World Cup medal is something that is missing in her cabinet. She came close twice but fell short both times.

“I played two [50-over] World Cup finals, would’ve been great for me, India and women’s cricket if we could’ve won at least one of those. That was the ultimate goal. You prepare so much and put in a lot of hard work. We’ve played two-three World Cup finals, including T20, but weren’t able to win them. That hurt and that’s one regret I have.”

The Indian pacer was quite relaxed and satisfied with her career in the last ODI against England. The team atmosphere also set her right into the mood and she also had a few words for her teammates who she thinks are going to be the future of India.

“I don’t feel anything so far. Until I get on the field and play…a different feeling might come only then. At this moment, I feel very normal and enjoying every moment because I know after this series I am hanging up my boots so I am enjoying every moment. This young bunch of cricketers are all fun-loving.”

Jhulan laid importance on preparations and as it is well documented, she stressed that process is always the key.

“It’s difficult to say how long you’ll be able to play and perform consistently. There will be a lot of ups and downs and from a bowler’s point of view, cricket is changing a lot. There’s a lot of pressure on the bowlers, lots of restrictions. So it is about how you prepare. Your preparation will be the key. How you’re going to prepare every moment… you’ve to be clear. When I started, we only played Test and ODI, we played a lot of four-day Test matches.

“Now we play a lot of T20I and a bit of ODIs, so it is a different skill. Nowadays the girls are very professional, they know how to handle the situation. I just wanted to bowl fast, wanted to take one wicket, because she [a 19-year-old Jhulan in 2002] didn’t know if she would be able to continue or not. That was her first aim, to just represent India and bowl fast. Since then that desire to bowl fast has remained with me forever.”

The former India skipper also mentioned in her statement that Covid-19 postponed her plans for retirement and frequent injuries in recent times made it easy for her to take the call.

“After the World Cup, I was thinking (about retirement). But in 2021, because of Covid, it was postponed. I was thinking every series is my last series because I was going through a lot of injuries and had lots of ups and downs because of injuries. So I was taking it series by series. After the World Cu,p I thought the Sri Lanka tour may be my last series. But I was injured in the last match of the World Cup and was not fit enough to go to Sri Lanka.

“But this is the last ODI series we are playing before the T20 World Cup. So this is the last option for me and I said ‘okay, I’ll go back to NCA, do a lot of rehab work, get fit enough and come to England and play my last series.”

Injuries have been an integral part of her career but she bounced back stronger every time she had an injury.

“Whenever you get injured, then I realise ‘again I’m injured, I’ll miss a series again, miss matches again’. It was a difficult time to sit back and watch games and notbe able to participate. Those were some of the ups and downs. That is what being a fast bowler is all about. You are going to have a lot of injuries and that is wwhatere character is required – how you are going to come back whenever you fall down.”

She signed off on a high note which made her listed in the good books of Indian women’s cricket. Her passion to fight for Indi made her a stronger candidate for her opponents. She has also mentioned her transformation from a pacy fast bowler to a mediocre pacer over the past few years.

“I was fortunate enough, I had very good seniors who handled me very nicely at that time. Coming from a background where I didn’t know anything about professionalism, I’ve learnt from them and it was an extremely good memory and till today I’m enjoying each and every moment,”

she said.

“The best moment for me, getting out of the dressing room standing on the ground and singing the national anthem, that is an amazing feeling. And when you wear the jersey with the name India written on it, that is the ultimate feeling for me and that is a moment I always enjoy. That is the most memorable thing for me in my life and I always live with it, because every day I wanted to get up and represent my country,”

said Jhulan.