Jhulan Goswami with Priyanka Roy. Picture by Gautam Bose

Jhulan Goswami

On top of the world

It is Chak de! time for the Chakdah girl. After bagging the prestigious ICC Women’s Player of the Year award a couple of seasons ago, the captain of Team India has regained her numero uno position in the ICC ODI’s bowling rankings. “Obviously it feels good. To be honest, for a sportsperson, rankings are very important. It gives you recognition. You also feel confident,” says Jhulan, the fastest bowler in the world of women’s cricket at 120 kph.

World Cup woes

If the 25-year-old doesn’t sound all that cheerful, blame it on her World Cup woes. The five-wicket loss to New Zealand in the Super Six was a heartbreak moment. “It is unfortunate that we could not reach the finals. After all, you plan for this through the four years. We started well. But one bad day spoiled it all. Poor fielding was one of the reasons why we lost,” she admits. As skipper, she knows the buck stops with her but Jhulan is quick to point out that cricket is a team game, after all. “So, everyone is equally responsible.”

On the ball

As a kid, Goswami chose ball over doll. “I had a simple upbringing and was involved in all kinds of sports. Most of my friends were boys. If they would play cricket, I would play cricket and if they would play volleyball or football, I would join them. I never missed the physical training classes in school,” she smiles. But cricket became her calling in Class V. “I made up my mind to play cricket seriously after I watched the finals of the 1997 Women’s World Cup.”

Run-up

“The two-hour journey from Chakdah to Calcutta was difficult,” she admits. “And initially, my parents did not support me; they told me to concentrate on my studies instead. Later, they gave their consent. And consent from one’s parents means a lot.” But her passion for the sport has made the rough ride seem a walk in the park. “After all, I enjoyed it immensely.”

First ball

Fast bowling is something that she gradually took to. “I started with para cricket where you have to bowl as well as bat. My coach advised me to practise bowling to be a good all-rounder. Then I started to enjoy bowling. I try to bowl wicket to wicket,” she recalls. The graduation from para cricket to international cricket happened with the help of the MRF Pace Academy. The rest is fast becoming cricketing lore.

Swing and seam

Jhulan made her debut in 2002 against England. She has a 33-wicket haul from eight Tests out of which she has ended up with a five-wicket match haul in three! In ODIs, she has 109 scalps from 100 games, making her only the fourth Indian woman cricketer to reach the magic figure. She is also the “second highest Indian women’s wicket-taker” after Neetu David. The Air India bowler is also the “fastest female bowler in the world, bowling at 120kph”. Jhulan was handed the vice-captaincy in 2006. Captaincy came in 2008.

Follow through

Had success not come her way, would she still have pursued the sport? “Of course! Cricket is everything for me. I am not playing for any award. Women cricketers have to face so many hardships. The infrastructure is not up to the mark. Why do you think they still stick to the game? It is because they love cricket,” thunders the tall fast bowler who idolises Glenn McGrath and Purnima Rao.

Last over

Cricket coaching is what she would like to concentrate on, post-retirement, but for now Jhulan has her sights set on the Twenty20 World Cup starting from June 4 in England. The Indians play their first match on June 11.

Batting for Dada

Jhulan feels bad that Sourav Ganguly has lost the KKR captaincy. “He’s one of the best captains. I am really upset. He’s the best man to lead KKR.”

Kumar & Khan

She eats, sleeps and drinks cricket, but Kishore Kumar, Rabindrasangeet and Aamir Khan keep her going off-field. “I love Kishore’s Ruk jaana nahin…. Dil Chahta Hai is my favourite Aamir Khan film,” she smiles. Jhulan is also game for a cricket-based film, Chak De! India style. “I don’t know how much acting I will be able to do, because it is a tough job, but if they need any help, I will definitely lend my support!” she laughs.

Priyanka Roy

Who’s that girl? Her performance in the World Cup this year (12 wickets from seven matches) won her a place in the Team of the Tournament. All of 21, leg-spinner Priyanka Roy is turning it on.

Why cricket: Born and brought up in a joint family in north Calcutta, Priyanka always loved playing cricket. “If you ask me about any one defining moment when I decided to be a cricketer, I won’t be able to say,” admits the Shyambazar girl, who started out playing cricket with cousins. North Calcutta gullies and Shyam Park (a park close to her house) were her pitches.

Step by step: Priyanka’s first outing was for Bengal in 2001. “I started with playing for the Under-16,” she recalls. It was around the same time that she started training with Swapan Sarkar and Mithu Mukherjee at the Chandranath Chatterjee Coaching Centre in Bagbazar. Air India got her aboard in 2005. The India ODI cap came in May 2008. Taking the field in whites should happen sooner than later.

Role models: No surprises for guessing this one! The wrist spinner idolises Shane Warne and Anil Kumble, of course. “It is Kumble’s aggressive style that I salute. I cannot forget that match with the West Indies where he played with stitches,” she says. High on her list of inspirations closer home (or dressing room!) is the seasoned bat Mithali Raj. And the one batsman she dreams of bowling to? Sachin Tendulkar!

World Cup & she: Though their World Cup was more about dark clouds, Priyanka wants to focus on the silver lining. “It is very disappointing. But I would see it is as a very good experience,” she says.

Last ball: Though her inclusion in the Team of the Tournament has made Priyanka happy, this is just the beginning. “I am busy preparing for the Twenty20 World Cup.”