They Will Come Back Strongly: Jhulan Goswami Throws Her Weight Behind Her Fellow Seamers

Legendary Indian seamer Jhulan Goswami has rallied behind her fellow seam bowlers, stating that they are all quality prospects and it is about sticking with them and showing a bit of patience.

India Women’s team was handed an eight-wicket hauling in the first ODI by hosts England as the latter chased down 202 without breaking a sweat.

Apart from Jhulan Goswami, who returned with figures of 1/25 in six overs, the likes of Pooja Vastrakar [0/23 in 4 overs] and Shikha Pandey [0/30] endured a disappointing outing.

Speaking in the virtual press conference ahead of the second ODI, Jhulan Goswami backed the under-fire seamers, stating that the likes of Shikha and Vastrakar have proved themselves in the past with match-winning performances and the cricketing folklore needs to show a bit of patience.

“Both of our medium pacers like Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar and we have another two pacers in the side, all of them are good cricketers. Shikha is coming back from a break, she was not there in our last series. Pooja is playing after a long time, they need a little bit of time, they will do well. They have already proved that they are quality bowlers, they have single-handedly won the matches for India. You just need to give them a little bit of time, they will come back strongly. I have full confidence in them,” said Jhulan Goswami while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.

Goswami, however, admitted that the seam-bowling attack needs to fight back strongly in the forthcoming games and defend whatever target that their batters have set.

“Honestly speaking, we need to come back as a bowling group strongly. Whatever score is there on the board, we need to come back as a unit. As an individual, you cannot achieve big milestones. You have to come out together as a bowling unit. We have discussed a lot of things, hopefully, we sort it out and we come back strongly. You have to believe in these bowlers, they are your best bowlers, they have the ability. They have done well in the past, they are coming back after a long haul, we will come back strongly as a bowling unit,” she added.

Following the eight-wicket defeat in the first ODI, skipper Mithali Raj had called out the Indian seamers, stating that there is a huge scope of improvement in that particular department.

Raj had said that apart from Jhulan Goswami, other seamers need to step up whenever they get an opportunity as the lack of wickets in the powerplay puts a lot of pressure on the spinners.

“Clearly, our seam bowling. That puts a lot of pressure if you don’t get those wickets. When the spinners come in, a lot of pressure is on them to get wickets and even control runs. It is not that they have never done it before, but then, they cannot do it time and again. Somewhere, I think, we also need to groom our fast-bowling department. Other than Jhulan Goswami, the others who are there in the team, when they get an opportunity, they should be able to step up because these conditions do assist seamers, so they should be able to use these conditions to bowl well,” she had added. 

India will lock horns with England in the second in Taunton on Wednesday, June 30th.

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