Kolkata: India fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, who was felicitated with a special award by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) here Tuesday following India’s exploits in the ICC Women’s World Cup, said that at one point during the tournament she wanted to be dropped from the starting XI owing to her poor performance early in the event.
Jhulan, who took 10 wickets in nine matches including a 3/23 in the final of the World Cup against hosts England, which India narrowly lost by nine runs, was awarded a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a plaque by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“I think I was preparing in such a way… that in the earlier stages of the World Cup, I was not bowling well and I was very disappointed,” Jhulan said after receiving the award.
“I talked to coach (Tushar Arothe) that I am not bowling well, so you can drop me in the next match. I told him this after the West Indies match. He said ‘No, I want you to be there and lead the bowling unit’,” Jhulan said to the loud cheers and applause from the gathering. She had gone wicketless in the first two encounters against England the West Indies.
It was from there on that Jhulan started picking up wickets and was seen in full tilt in the latter stages of the tournament, bowling a gem of a delivery in the second semifinal to get rid of Australia’s star batsman Meg Lanning for a duck.
Asked about that delivery many dubbed as ‘the ball of the tournament’ where Jhulan angled in a back of a length ball which straightened away late to square up Lanning, hitting the top of off stump, she said: “In the Australia match it was important as they are the best team in the world. Meg Lanning is among the best players in the world and she is very strong square of the wicket.”
Talking about the support for women’s cricket in the state and from the CAB in the last 10 years, Jhulan said she was initially wary of coming from Mumbai to Kolkata as she feared lack of match practice would affect her.
“When I came to Bengal from Air India in Bombay in 2005-06, I was not sure about the opportunities I would get here. In Bombay I used to get match practice with the boys courtesy Air India. I got the chance to bowl to the likes of Sameer Dighe and Pravin Amre at the nets there, so I was skeptical initially,” the pacer informed. “But then in the last 10 years, CAB has done a lot for women’s cricket,” she added.
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