Jhulan Goswami who has bagged the most wickets across formats in women’s cricket, bowed out of international cricket on a good note, with India winning the ODI against England at Lord’s to clean-sweep the series 3-0. After India won the tense encounter by 16 runs, the veteran cricketer was aptly carried off by her teammates on their shoulders to the pavilion.
At the start of the game, Jhulan Goswami was felicitated with a memento by the Indian set-up. The ECB also commemorated her with a jersey signed by the players. In a touching gesture, the India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur also let Jhulan Goswami call the toss.
Jhulan Goswami: Women’s Cricket In India Gradually Picked Up After 2017 Women’s World Cup
India Women made it to the final of the 2005 and 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup but fell short against Australia and England respectively. In the most recent edition, India failed to make it out of the group stage after losing a do-or-die clash to South Africa.
Jhulan Goswami missed the game through injury and in a crunch game, India missed the services of their talisman. In the press conference, Jhulan Goswami said that recent recurring injuries were the main reason to call it a day.
The legendary Indian fast bowler has represented the country in 12 Tests, 68 T20I and 203 ODIs. She has picked up 44 wickets in Women’s Tests, 253 wickets in Women’s ODI and 56 wickets in Women’s T20I.
“Each and every moment has a lot of emotions,” said Goswami, to the official broadcaster Sky Sports.
“Lots of effort you have put in. But 2017 World Cup where our team comeback and fought, nobody gave us a [chance] that we were going to play the final. The way we played that tournament was different and from there, women’s cricket in India has slowly and gradually picked up well,” she added.
“When I debuted, she was the leader, in my best times, many were supporting me, but even in my rough times, she was the one who supported. She is just a call away. I wanted to thank her and tell her she is always with us. She is a go-to person, I always called her at low times and she was someone always guiding me.”
Jhulan Goswami’s final international game had its share of thrills and spills. Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma scored the fifties to help India recover from a precariously placed 29 for 4, as the visitors finished with 169 on a sporting wicket.
Meanwhile, Kate Cross used the slope factor at Lord’s to good effect to bag a four-for. India’s Renuka Singh also took advantage of the slope to pick up crucial scalps while the spinners chipped away with wickets at the other end to reduce England to 118 for 9.
Harmanpreet Kaur Defends Deepti Sharma And Adds That The Team Hasn’t Committed Any Crime
At that juncture, Charlotte Dean and Freya Davies combined to share an alliance of 35 for the final wicket to raise hopes of England posting a come-from-behind win. However, Deepti Sharma provided the finishing touches to India’s effort with the ball by running out Charlotte Dean at the non-striker’s end, with the batter backing up too far.
Harmanpreet Kaur defended Deepti Sharma and the mode of dismissal, and said that her team-mate just followed the rules as drafted by the ICC.
“Today whatever we have done I don’t think it was any crime,” Harmanpreet Kaur observed during the post-match press conference.
“It is part of the game and it is an ICC rule and I think we just need to back our player. I’m actually very happy she was aware of that, and the batter she is taking too long a stride I think. I don’t think she has done something wrong and we just need to back her.”
Harmanpreet Kaur also disagreed that the dismissal took some gloss off Jhulan Goswami’s farewell game.
“I don’t think so, because, like I said, I don’t think we have done any crime.I don’t think we need to talk about that because the first nine wickets were also very important and everybody was working so hard.
“It was a chaseable total but the way our bowlers bowled and the whole team putting in the effort, there were a lot of things to celebrate other than just talking about the last wicket.”
Charlotte Dean was run out on 47 as the hosts folded for 153 in 43.3 overs. Deepti Sharma, the off-spinner, pulled out from finishing her action in the fourth ball of the 44th over as she spotted Charlotte Dean rush out of the crease before she had released the ball. Calmly, she took off the bails even as the umpire seemingly was signalling a dead ball.
Brief scores: India 169 in 45.4 overs (Deepti Sharma 68 not out, Smriti Mandhana 50; Kate Cross 4-26) beat England 153 in 43.4 overs (Charlotte Dean 47, Amy Jones 28; Renuka Singh 4.29, Jhulan Goswami 2-30) by 16 runs.