What Jhulan brings to the game, nobody else can: Harmanpreet

Jhulan Goswami’s long, illustrious international career is set to end late next month. On the eve of the Indian women’s tour of England, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur paid a glowing tribute to the seamer with 352 international wickets.

“Nobody could beat Jhulan’s attitude to the game,” the captain said on Tuesday. “When I joined the Indian team, she was leading the side and I have learned a lot from her.”

Harman said nobody could fill Jhulan’s place. “Even today she does the kind of hard work she did in her younger days,” she said. “She bowls two to three hours during training sessions and you hardly see any other bowler doing it now. Even while batting at nets (she does it with the same intensity). What she brings to the game, nobody else can.”

Role model

Harmanpreet believes Jhulan has been a great example for all the players. “There are several cricketers in India who have started playing after watching her,” she said.

“When I began my career, I used to look up to her; I would watch how she prepared and how her mindset was before a game. She is someone who has done a lot of hard work and I consider myself lucky that I could watch such a cricketer from close and spend time with her.”

India will play three T20Is and as many ODIs against England. The series begins with a T20I on September 10 at Chester-le-Street and concludes on September 24 with the ODI at Lord’s, a perfect venue for Jhulan’s farewell.