Her long arms went up in the air. She broke into a broad smile. The crowd cheered. Her teammates sprinted towards her. They hugged her. She was still smiling, soaking up the moment, possibly for one last time, relishing the sound most musical to a bowler’s ears — of the stumps being rattled.
It was wicket No. 255 for Jhulan Goswami in Women’s ODIs. The second on the list has 191 (Shabnim Ismail). It was also wicket No. 355 for Jhulan in international women’s cricket. The second on the list has 329 (Katherine Brunt).
We do not know for sure how long Jhulan will be on top of those lists. What we know is that we would be lucky if women’s cricket could produce another bowler like her. A skilful, hard-working bowler who could carry a country’s attack on her shoulders for two decades like her.
