WWC final loss will continue to haunt India, says Jhulan Goswami
What's the story?
Veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami believes that India's excruciating loss to England in the final of the ICC Women's World Cup by a margin of just nine runs will continue to haunt her and her team for a long time.
"We are touched by the way India embraced and welcomed us despite losing but till we win a World Cup, the 'number nine' will continue to haunt us," she said during a felicitation ceremony on the occasion of Mohun Bagan Day in Kolkata.
Goswami produced sensational figures of 3/23 in the final to ensure that the hosts are restricted for a total of just 228/7.
The Indian team was well into the game up until the last few overs of the match, where unraveled and lost 7 wickets for less than 40 runs. At the end of it all, the team failed to chase the target by just 9 runs.
In case you didn't know..
The Indian team, led by Mithali Raj, came painfully close to lifting its first World Cup trophy in England.
Everything was in control as the team was cruising at 191/3. However, the proceedings took a drastic turn after that and the inexperienced Indian batting order let the pressure of the big match get the better of them.
The hosts pulled things back beautifully to take ten wickets and register a win in the biggest match of the tournament.
The details
Goswami said that the felicitation that she hopes to see women's cricket develop in and around places like Mohun Bagan.
When asked about her personal life, the 34-year-old said that she is completely focused on her career and does not have time to devote to anything else right now.
What next?
Women's cricket fans hope that the Indian team's splendid performance in the tournament will open the floodgates to more girls taking up cricket as a career option in the country.
The facilities for the women are still nowhere close to their male counterparts; strong statements from players like Raj and Goswami will hopefully steer things to equal standings among both.
Author's take
The loss in the World Cup final was undoubtedly difficult to digest for every Indian cricket follower.
However, it is time now to look past it and focus on the many positives that Indian women's cricket can take from the tournament.
It is time for the team to aim towards building their core and creating a functional environment that would be conducive to the development of their game.