It has been a roller-coaster ride: Jhulan

Jhulan Goswami has perched on top of the wicket-takers’ list in women’s ODIs in the Quadrangular series in South Africa, where she surpassed Australian Cathryn Fitzpatrick’s tally of 180 sticks. Now, with 185 wickets in 155 ODIs since her debut in 2002, the 34-year-old right-arm pacer from Kolkata is keen on doing well in the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup in England. In this exclusive chat with DNA, Goswami tells G Krishnan on her journey so far and the burning desire to do well in the quadrennial event. Excerpts:

Becoming the world’s highest wicket-taker in ODIs, how has the journey been?

As an international cricketer, it has been a roller-coaster ride, it will always have ups and downs. The most important thing is when you are down, how you come back. The main thing is you have to focus on your processes, what you want to do, how you work towards your goal. Secondly, I just try to do simple things, try to focus on my job rather than focus on other things. Whatever came my way, I thoroughly enjoyed those moments. When I was down, I tried to be calm, focus on basics and try to get back strongly.

Did you expect you will be the world’s highest wicket-taker when you started?

When you start playing your cricket, you never thought about those things. You wanted to enjoy because of the passion. You play cricket because of the love for sport. When you are in the team, you try to contribute each and every day. It is common thing, you have to contribute for your side. When you try to contribute, sometimes you do well, sometimes you don’t. How consistent you are is the most important thing. I try to do that each and every time whenever I got the opportunity. Thanks to god's grace, I got this opportunity, tried to support my side, tried to do my level best. All these things happen when you play for such a long time for the country. Somethings will come your way. You just cross that thing and go ahead. You cannot just live in this moment and settle down. You have to perform each and every day. If you don’t, you will not be in the team. You have to perform each and every time, each and every day, day and night. You have to prepare for that. Whenever you get the opportunity to play for India, all these things happen. But, I never thought about the records. As a performer, you job is not to think about big milestone but how you contribute to the team.

How satisfying has your journey been?

I always believed that cricket is totally a team sport. Everything depends on others’ support. In team sport, individual performances hardly matter. If you do well in ICC events, it will be good for Indian women's cricket. That will motivate the youngsters, they will have some goals and can take to the sport as a career option. All these milestones do not matter. Team should come first. If you take five wickets and the team does not win, there is no joy. If you take one or two wickets and the team wins, that gives greater joy. Ultimately, it is a team game. When you represent your country, it does not matter what you achieve individually. At the end of the day, you want India to win, not any X, Y or Z creating history.
I want to thank everyone who have supported me throughout. Thank my coaches with whom I have been from the start. They have taught me a lot. Also, the physios and trainers who have kept me fit. It has been nice so far. I want to do well in the World Cup. This World Cup is big for all of us. Whatever I have done in the past, I want to keep aside. I am looking forward to the World Cup. The entire team wants to do well in it.

From the time you started, how have you coped with the changes in the game?

It has been a different ballgame since the advent of Twenty20 in women’s cricket also. Now, lot of rules and regulations are different. Earlier, there was only one Power Play for the first 15 overs. Now, you have it for first 10 overs, then the batting Power Play. The matches have become high-scoring. Earlier, 200 was a winning score. Now 250 is a chaseable score. Accordingly, you have to also change your gear from time to time. That is how you prepare, how you work on your physical activities and also your skill power. Now, after the advent of T20, a lot of girls are fearless, they enjoy and never bother about getting out.

For a fast bowler, how tough has it been to adapt to the current style of playing?

For bowlers, it has always been challenging, whether it is 50-over or T20 cricket. You have to prepare for that. You have specified roles, what kind of situations, what kind of ball you are going to bowl. All these things happen over time. After T20, you have to adjust to so many things. You do a lot of training to master all these. It is just that you have to change with time. How you adapt to the situations is important. If you adapt quickly, it is good for you, try to work on it and try to deliver at the right time in a match. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but you try.

You are already the No. 1 wicket-taker in ODIs. Mithali Raj is only 212 runs of becoming the highest run-getter. How do you look at that prospect of both the records being held by India?

Mithali has been a big cricketer, a big role model for all of us. When I came to the Indian team, she was already playing for the country. She has been performing in international cricket from that age. She played before I joined in Indian team. I saw her how she has fought in internationals against good sides in India and outside. She has been an example for our generation. We all tried to become like her and contribute like her. Her approach was totally different, we learn from here and it is good thing. She has been a phenomenal cricketer, from the beginning to where she is to today, she is the same. Every match she prepares the same way. The hunger to be at the crease has remained the same. She just loves to bat, not just in matches but also in training session. She will do her preparation every day the same way that is the beauty of a class cricketer that she is. Whenever she achieves that record, it will be a huge thing in Indian cricket. I hope she achieves it quickly.

Mithali has said she does not want to take the focus away from the World Cup and does not want the record to be a distraction. But, in the dressing room, do you talk about the impending milestones?

What she has said is absolutely right. I also did not think about the record. I always aimed to contribute for my side. Thinking about the milestones will bring a lot of pressure on yourself. In doing so, you will forget the basic. Whenever it happens, it will happen. Just be patient, focus on basic, try to be there and enjoy the moments. When it happens, nobody can change. Right now, we all are focussing on one goal – to do well in the World Cup. It is a mega event for women' cricket. The results are not in our hands but we will try our level best.

How challenging will it be for India in England despite having successful tournaments in Sri Lanka (February) and South Africa (recently)?

England is going to be a totally different ballgame. It depends on how mentally and physically strong you are. How you adapt to the English conditions is the key. If you adjust to the weather and enjoy your performances, things will follow. Main thing is you have to accept the challenge. Everyone wants to do well. It happens once in four years, and it is everybody’s dream is to participate in the World Cup. There will be a lot of pressure. How you hold your nerves and focus on the processes is important. It is not going to be easy. South Africa quadrangular and the ICC World Cup are entirely different. All top teams will participate in the World Cup.

How have you handled pressure as a senior bowler?

I always try to be simple. There will be pressure. Before delivering the first delivery, you will have butterflies in your stomach. It is not about senior or junior. When you play your last game, it is going to be the same. Over a period of time, you learn how to control. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I try to share my experience with my team-mates, try to be with them, try to control them. How you deliver is in your hands. When you enter the 22-yards, you have to fight it out, nobody will be there. Even the senior most will have a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations. It is how you cope up with it that is important.

How have the younger crop of bowlers shaped up?

We have good quality bowlers. Ekta Bisht is doing a good job for India over a period of time. Shikha Pandey is gong a good job. Mansi Joshi is a talented cricketer. Deepti Sharma is very promising, she has already made a mark in international cricket. Rajeshwari Gayakwad is also there, Poonam Yadav is also there. They are good. Whatever they have learnt in the last one or one-and-a-half years, they have to deliver, use their experience in the big event. It is important that you contribute as a whole. You cannot depend on just on department. The batting unit and bowling unit, everyone has to contribute. You have a very good batter in Mithali. Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy are there among batters. Smriti Mandhana is back. Poonam Raut and Deepti are doing well. They should continue their form in the World Cup also.