Indian eve bowls her way into hearts

Posted on Sep 08, 2006 at 23:15 | Updated Sep 08, 2006 at 23:26 Comment 0 CommentsEmail Email Print Print
Tags: cricket, india, women\'s team

Kolkata: Last week the Indian women's cricket team took a huge step forward. They beat England in England to win the Test series 1-0.

It was just the third Test win for Indian women abroad, and credit for the success should go chiefly to a 23-year-old fast bowler from Nadia, Jhulan Goswami.

The simple smile belies her status as one of the most dangerous fast bowlers in the world. With her 10-wicket haul that helped India beat England and win the Test series, Jhulan Goswami has served notice of her arrival on the big stage.

No mean feat that, if you consider the brass tacks. Frequently prone to floods and other natural disasters, Nadia is one of the poorest and most populated districts in West Bengal. Yet time and again, women like Jhulan have dared to dream, and achieved them.

"It was a great feeling for me because we beat England in England. It’s a great honour for the entire Indian country and for us also. I felt good because I contributed in the match too," says Jhulan, a proud member of the Indian eves.

Babul, as she's fondly called at home, didn't have it easy from the start. Coming from a place where people struggle for a living, it has taken years of hard work and practice for Jhulan to be the scourge for batswomen the world over.

And she's also doing whatever it takes to keep the momentum going.

"This February, I went to the MRF Pace Foundation. I talked to Dennis Lillee, and he rectified the faults that he saw in me. He gave very valuable suggestions for my bowling," adds Jhulan.

And now the English counties are planning to come calling to India in search of this gentle giant, who's proved to be the true meaning of grit.

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