Jhulan Goswami opens up about India’s chances of winning the world cup

As India will be starting the latest edition of the Women’s World Cup, Jhulan Goswami backed a strong Indian contingency wipe out the laments of the past and pose a serious contention for the hallowed title.

Goswami told ESPN Cricinfo, “This is a very valid point. If you see the last three World Cups, including the T20 World Cup in the West Indies [in 2018], we had a very good chance; we played good cricket. But the pressure of that semi-final (in 2018) and the final (in the 2017 ODI World Cup 2017 and in T20 equivalent in 2020) is something that cannot be denied.”

She continued, “It may have played a part in how we performed. It was like a final barrier we were stumbling at every time. Maybe this year we will be able to respond better as a team. Sports is very unpredictable, but hopefully, those near-misses and our preparations leading up to this World Cup will help us react better in big matches."

Despite a sumptuous showdown throughout the tournament the Indian women’s team somehow manages to find themselves with two consecutive defeats in the grand finale. Experts quoted that it is more due to the nervousness in the dying embers that resulted in India’s collapse.

Jhulan further added, “I think people can criticise us. But it's something we are [still] developing slowly, slowly. Overnight it will not happen, but we are in the process of developing. So, whatever experience we've gathered in the past - I'll put it in that way - hopefully, in this tournament we'll handle in a better way.”

She also quoted, “I can expect that [kind of approach) from my team-mates. They are mentally very strong. Whenever challenging stuff come, they take that challenge and take responsibility. So, I am very much hopeful that learning experience is going to help us in this tournament."

In the forthcoming World Cup that has been slated to be conducted in New Zealand where the surfaces aid the fast bowlers, Jhulan will be leading a squadron that has been divested of another menacing quick, Shikha Pandey.

She shed light on the focus of the team, “World Cups come with pressure, expectations, and unpredictable elements - it's sport, after all. But I expect, individually and as a unit, I and we, back ourselves to deal with that pressure in a positive way without thinking too much about anything. We must enjoy our cricket because I think that's very important if we are to express ourselves and our preparedness in a proper manner.”

Jhulan also quoted about the challenges that they have been up against, “We have been put under very challenging situations [in the recent past]. Though we did not win any of the three series we played last year, they were all very important preparations for us. So, having been through a variety of difficult match situations, and close defeats, hopefully, will react better under pressure at this World Cup."

She also spoke about the mental health challenges that the cricketers are facing all around the world due to the bubble environment. Jhulan said, “This (mental barrier) is not something you can overcome in a day. It's not a cricketing technical part that individually can go there and bat and bowl [to improve]. It's a different thing. It's not easy.”

The Indian express woman also added, "I think worldwide we all are struggling with mental-health issues at this moment. Because of the present situation, sportspersons are having to quarantine, they're staying in biobubbles, not able to meet your family, friends, staying in hotels, having same food - that's a challenge. That's called mental toughness."

Talking on the recent boot camp that she participated in, she quoted, “It was a new and fun experience, especially getting to know each other better, from up close, as team-mates - was refreshing and could be helpful for us in the future. I now know my team-mates a little better than I did before the boot camp because we were put through a kind of challenging situation - living in a tent, in cold weather, with limited resources, and yet no body complained.”

Jhulan concluded by saying, “Plus, there were tasks devised to help with team bonding and react in pressure situations. I hope this experience helps us in the World Cup because understanding each other as team-mates plays a big role in a team's performance. We never had this kind of a team bonding exercise or camp, so I'd saw it was a good thing to participate in before New Zealand tour and the World Cup."