After the ODI series against England at historic Lord’s, Indian legend Jhulan Goswami has made the decision to hang up her boots. The illustrious career, which began in Chennai versus England, ends in London against the same opposition.
Goswami retires as one of the sport’s all-time top bowlers. The right-arm bowler has taken more ODI wickets than any other female player. She is the first female cricketer to have taken more than 250 wickets, in reality.
She had an economy of 5.45 in the shortest format, where she picked up 56 wickets in 68 games, and 44 in 12 games in the longest format.
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However, Goswami’s contribution to the game extended beyond bare statistics and numbers. She was a trailblazer as a fast bowler in India, a nation renowned for producing top-notch spin bowlers. She is recognised for influencing a generation of players and nearly single-handedly establishing a fast bowling culture in Indian women’s cricket.
We relive some of her best performances as she bids adieu to a career that spanned more than 20 years.
4/16 vs West Indies, Women’s Cricket World Cup (2005)
Jhulan Goswami ignited the arena in her very first World Cup and was a crucial piece in India’s journey to their first-ever final.
In Pretoria, South Africa, during India’s penultimate group stage match, she delivered figures of 4/16 to dismiss West Indies for 135 runs. When she took out Nelly Williams early in the innings, she first broke the first partnership.
Verena Felicien and captain Stephanie Power’s promising combination was broken when she took three more wickets in the final overs. She caught Felicien in her subsequent over after scalping Power and Debbie-Ann Lewis in the previous one.
With 17 overs and eight wickets remaining, India successfully batted down the required score, and Goswami was duly named Player of the Match.
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5/33 and 5/45 vs England, second Test (2006)
In 2006, India visited England for an all-format series. The ODI series, which India lost 4-0, was played in between the two Test matches, the first of which ended in a tie.
India recovered in the second Test, defeating England for the first time in red-ball cricket by a margin of five wickets. Goswami, who recorded a five-for in each inning, was instrumental in the triumph.
Caroline Atkins, Laura Newton, and Claire Taylor were England’s top three batters before Goswami raced through them after contributing an important 18 runs with the bat. After that, she made a critical second appearance and struck to remove Laura Marsh and captain Charlotte Edwards.
Goswami finished the innings with stats of 5/33, recording the second five-for of her career as England were bowled out for only 99.
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After being asked to continue, Edwards spearheaded England’s comeback alongside Atkins, scoring 178 runs together. Goswami killed centurion Edwards for a price after earlier dismissing Newton. The wicket ultimately proved to be the game’s turning point because England was unable to capitalise on the enormous partnership that followed.
As England progressed from 212/2 to 305 all out, Goswami quickly scalped Jenny Gunn and trapped Laura Marsh and Isa Gusa in front of the stumps.
Despite a few setbacks, India was able to reach the required run rate of 98 with five wickets remaining to win the Test series 1-0.
5/11 vs Australia, fifth T20I (2012)
Goswami finished the innings with stats of 5/33, recording the second five-for of her career as England were bowled out for only 99.
After being asked to continue, Edwards spearheaded England’s comeback alongside Atkins, scoring 178 runs together. Goswami killed centurion Edwards for a price after earlier dismissing Newton. The wicket ultimately proved to be the game’s turning point because England was unable to capitalise on the enormous partnership that followed.
As England progressed from 212/2 to 305 all out, Goswami quickly scalped Jenny Gunn and trapped Laura Marsh and Isa Gusa in front of the stumps.
Despite a few setbacks, India was able to reach the required run rate of 98 with five wickets remaining to win the Test series 1-0.
Her 5/11, which remains the greatest bowling stats by an Indian bowler in women’s T20Is, was the second five-for by an Indian player in that format.
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6/31 vs New Zealand, sixth match, Quadrangular series (2011)
The only ball-carrier for India versus New Zealand in the sixth game of the Quadrangular series was Jhulan Goswami. Only one wicket was recorded by the remainder of India’s bowling attack in a game where the White Ferns lost eight wickets, and the other was a run-out.
After Suzie Bates was run-out, Goswami quickly removed Sara McGlashan and Lucy Doolan. She also took the early wicket of Frances Mackay.
She shook Nicola Browne’s and Kate Ebrahim’s stumps to finish with a six-wicket haul, her best ODI cricket stats. Unfortunately, it happened in a losing effort as India’s attempt to reach 202 was unsuccessful by 39 runs.
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5/16 vs England, fourth ODI (2005)
In the five-match ODI home series in 2005, India defeated England 5-0. The visitors’ fourth ODI score was their lowest in ODI history when Goswami’s five-wicket spree bowled them out for just 50.
Goswami and Amita Sharma destroyed England’s top order as they lost half their side after scoring only 13 runs. Arran Brindle and Rosalie Birch, the two openers, were both dismissed by the right-arm pacer.
As Goswami finished her first five-for in ODI cricket, she took the lives of Brindle and Nicky Shaw. The hosts won the match in less than 15 overs after chasing just 51.
