Jhulan stamps her class returning to biggest stage
NEW DELHI: The big occasion of the Women’s World Cup final meant India’s seniormost hand put her hand up and led the way in the pressure game against England at Lord’s on Sunday.
The Lord’s pitch slope has been a challenge for generations of bowlers, but Jhulan Goswami again proved the player for the big occasion by capturing 3/23 with crucial strikes in the middle overs to peg back England’s scoring momentum.
Jhulan ‘Gozzy’ Goswami has been a picture of consistency for India for over a decade, and the 34-year-old Bengal pacer has made up for her drop in pace with accuracy and subtle variations. She got all that together to dismiss the set Sarah Taylor (45) and Natalie Sciver (51) as well as Fran Wilson, trapped first ball. She finished the World Cup with 10 scalps.
Jhulan’s brilliant figures of 10-3-23-3 was a culmination of her gradually stepping it up in the tournament. The tall pacer with a beautiful, easy action was brilliant in the shock semifinal win over Australia, where she bowled skipper Meg Lanning for duck with perhaps the delivery of the tournament before finishing with two wickets.
The seasoned bowler didn’t need much motivation going into the final. Jhulan and skipper Mithali Raj were both part of the team that reached the final of the 2005 Women’s World Cup, only to lose by 98 runs against Australia.
Ahead of the final, Mithali had picked all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur and Jhulan Goswami for their roles in the upset over the Aussies. “Well, she has definitely worked on her bowling. From the first game to the Sri Lanka game and New Zealand game, she was getting better in the nets. It was just a matter of time. You get a couple of good spells and you get confidence.”
That was very much the case for the bowler who claimed the record for most ODI wickets in May, surpassing Australian Cathryn Fitzpatrick’s tally of 180. Jhulan is just five short of becoming the first to take 200 ODI wickets.
Jhulan has been the constant for India in the last decade. After helping India reach the 2005 final, she played a prominent role, first with the bat and then with the ball in the Test series win in England the next year. It was Jhulan’s 10/78 – she took five wickets in each innings – that helped India win the second Test and she claimed the Player-ofthe-Series award.
Her success was rewarded when she was named the ICC Player of the Year in 2007.
On Sunday, England were seeking a hattrick of victories at home, having won the World Cup finals in 1973 and 1993 as hosts. India needed a special effort to give themselves a chance. Jhulan tilted the scales in India’s favour at the halfway mark but a late batting collapse left them waiting for their maiden title.