Chakdaha, Sept. 24 Jharna Goswami of Nadia’s Chakdah, would probably no more be interested to watch cricket from Sunday. Her key attraction to the game apparently comes to an end with her daughter’s retirement on Saturday. However, she would be happy to see her daughter with flying colors as a successful coach to make new players and make the country proud.
Jharna, 55, is the mother of ace Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami (39), who donned the Indian cap for the last time on Saturday ending her 20 years’ glittering international career when she played against England at Lords.
Sitting at her Chakdah-Lalpur-based residence in a gloomy mood, Jharna said, “I will no more be able to enjoy watching the great game…In fact, the desire to watch cricket would probably end with the retirement of Jhulan. It is a painful reality”.
Jhulan had hinted about her retirement around a month ago. But like Jharna residents of Chakdah, expected that she would continue to play for a few more years. But on Friday, the “Chakdah Express” officially announced her decision to retire in a virtual press conference organized by the ICC.
The journey that she began from the Lalpur Friend’s Club ground eventually comes to end on Saturday, when local residents and school children poured in to appeal to Jharna to request Jhulan to reconsider her decision. But since there was no news of change arrived, the “Para” wore a gloomy look and all joined to see her live in action on the television for the last time. Their pain increased further to watch her return with a duck being bowled by Freya Kemp in the first ball.
At Jhulan’s home in Chakdaha Lalpur Ramkrishna Mandir para, where her parents Nisith (75) and Jharna Goswami (69), live along with her siblings Jhumpa (36) and Kunal (35)a group of Students of Chakdaha Broadway Accent High School broke the silence. They came to meet Jhulan’s parents and handed over them a memento as a mark of their tribute to their great-daughter. “It is a tribute to a great woman who showed power in a different field”, said principal Runu De Sarkar.
Speaking to The NfN Jharna said, “She has been playing for about past 20 years. This is quite natural for any sportsperson…one has to call it a day at a time. So it’s time for Jhulan now”.
“I hope that she would take a new role as a coach to teach new players…I would be happy to see such new players perform better under the coaching of my daughter. That would be another success story of her to make me happy”, Jharna said adding the desire to watch cricket would be no more.
“The eagerness to watch the game would be decreased…at least for the time being”, Jharna added further while
regretting like her daughter about India’s defeat in the ICC world cup final.
Jharna’s apprehended lack of eagerness was echoed by Jhulan’s sister Jhumpa.
“As a sibling, I also brought up with the game…with her…so cricket sans Didi would be shocking…but she told me to accept it,” Jhumpa told The NfN informing about her conversation with Jhulan on Saturday morning when she called back home to seek blessings from mother.
Jhulan began her career against England in 2002 as an all-rounder. She played 12 tests, 204 ODI, and 68 T20 matches and took 355 wickets when she retired on Sunday.
Local residents and friends still recount Jhulan’s struggle.
Jhulan born in Chakdaha used to rush to Calcutta by catching the first train to Sealdah to attend the coaching camp of Swapan Sandhu by 7 am at Vivekanda Park. She later returns home by 11 to attend school. Local still recounts her struggle.
Gopal Sandhukhan (38), a resident of Lalpur, who once played with Jhulan at a local friends club said: “It is a long journey for Jhulan that ends today. She took Indian women’s cricket to a new. After Sourav Ganguly, she is probably the only Indian sportsman who has shown aggression on the field to make the country champion”