India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl in the third and final T20 International against Australia here on Sunday. Both sides made one change each in their final playing XI.
Rishabh Pant replaced Bhuvneshwar Kumar for India, while Josh Inglis came in for Sean Abbott for the visitors.
According to the BCCI, Deepak Hooda was not available for selection for the game due to a back injury.
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Greene, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Daniel Sams, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is planning to name a stand at the Eden Gardens after India’s legendary pacer Jhulan Goswami in recognition of his outstanding services to the game. The 39-year-old Jhulan, who hails from Chakdaha town in West Bengal’s Nadia district, ended her two-decade illustrious career with the third and final ODI against England at Lord’s on Saturday.
“We are planning to name a stand after Jhulan Goswami at the Eden Gardens. He is a special cricketer and deserves to be with the legends. We will approach the Army for necessary permissions. We will visit him on the annual Also planning a special honor day,” said CAB president Avishek Dalmiya.
“At CAB we give equal importance to women’s cricket and that’s why we see many talented cricketers. They are definitely inspired by Jhulan’s achievements. Though she has retired from international cricket, we see her in the women’s IPL,” she said. would love to play.”
The highest wicket-taker in women’s cricket, Jhulan, affectionately known as the ‘Chakdah Express’, bid adieu to international cricket with over 350 wickets, a feat never achieved by any bowler.
The state cricket body also organized a telecast of his last match at the City Theatre.
रोजर फेडरर के 24 साल के पेशेवर करियर का आखिरी मैच शुरू होने वाला था, और लंदन में इस लेवर कप में उनके प्रतिद्वंद्वी एंडी मरे, टीम के साथी बने, ने उनकी सलाह को छोटा और प्यारा रखा।
“इसका आनंद लें,” मरे ने कहा।
41 वर्षीय फेडरर ने शुक्रवार की रात को दिल से लिया: ओ 2 एरिना में बिकने वाली भीड़ की दहाड़ और समर्थन को स्वीकार करते हुए; अपने युगल जोड़ीदार राफेल नडाल के साथ अक्सर मुस्कुराते हुए और चुटकुले सुनाते हुए वे फ्रांसेस टियाफो और जैक सॉक से हार गए, 4-6, 7-6 (2), (11-9)। टीमों के अलग-अलग सेटों के बाद निर्णायक तीसरे सेट के बजाय 10-पॉइंट टाईब्रेकर था।
जैसा कि अक्सर फेडरर के साथ होता था, लहजा सही लग रहा था, और निश्चित रूप से आंसू थे जब यह एक चैंपियन से खत्म हो गया था, जिसने अक्सर अपनी भावनाओं पर – जीत या हार में – उन्हें कसकर लपेटकर रखने के बाद मुक्त कर दिया है। खेल में गेंद। शुक्रवार को विशेष परिस्थितियों में जिन भावनाओं को रेखांकित किया गया था, वे भावनाएं थीं: फेडरर के परिवार और दोस्तों सहित, अखाड़े में हजारों, और शायद सबसे मार्मिक, नडाल, एक बहुत कम लैक्रिमोज चैंपियन, जो अपने दोस्त और युगल साथी के रूप में हर तरह से असंगत दिखाई दिया। जैसे ही उसके चेहरे से आँसुओं की धारा बह निकली।
नडाल ने कहा, “कई साल, एक साथ बहुत सारी चीजें साझा करना।” “जब रोजर दौरा छोड़ता है, तो मेरे जीवन का एक महत्वपूर्ण हिस्सा भी जा रहा है।”
लेकिन फेडरर ने साफ कर दिया कि शुक्रवार को उन्होंने जो उम्मीद की थी, वह उन्हें हार में भी मिला है।
फेडरर ने कहा, ‘यह शानदार दिन रहा। “मैंने लोगों से कहा कि मैं खुश हूं, मैं दुखी नहीं हूं। मुझे अपने जूते एक बार और बांधने में मज़ा आया। सब कुछ आखिरी बार था।”
एक संदिग्ध दाहिने घुटने के साथ, वह अपने महान करियर को कई तरह से और कई जगहों पर समाप्त कर सकता था, लेकिन उसने सामूहिक पर जोर देना चुना, विंबलडन या स्विट्जरलैंड के बासेल में अपने गृह शहर स्टॉप जैसे व्यक्तिगत टूर इवेंट को छोड़कर, और इसके बजाय चयन करना इस टीम इवेंट के लिए आंशिक रूप से अपनी रचना का।
फेडरर ने कहा, ‘मैं नहीं चाहता था कि वहां अकेलापन महसूस हो। “मैंने हमेशा महसूस किया कि मैं दिल से एक टीम खिलाड़ी था।”
वह एक और एकल मैच आजमा सकते थे। इसके बजाय, उन्होंने नडाल के साथ युगल खेलना चुना, इस तीन दिवसीय आयोजन की शुरुआती रात को लेवर कप के होमस्ट्रेच से बहुत अधिक गड़गड़ाहट से बचने के लिए बस गए।
उन्होंने कहा, “यह एक उत्सव की तरह लगता है। यह वही है जो मैं अंत में चाहता था, ठीक वही जिसकी मुझे उम्मीद थी,” उन्होंने मैच के बाद के साक्षात्कार में अपने आंसू पोंछते हुए कहा, जिसमें भीड़ ने उनकी मदद करने के लिए उनकी सराहना की।
लंदन में गैलरी में उनकी पत्नी, मिर्का फेडरर, उनके चार बच्चे और उनके माता-पिता, रॉबर्ट और लिनेट, साथ ही साथ उनकी सहायता टीम के अतीत और वर्तमान के सदस्य शामिल थे: पूर्व नंबर 1 स्टीफन एडबर्ग से लेकर उनके वर्तमान कोच सेवरिन लूथी और इवान लजुबिकिक तक .
“वह मुझे बहुत पहले रोक सकती थी, लेकिन उसने नहीं किया,” फेडरर ने अपनी पत्नी, एक पूर्व टूर खिलाड़ी, जिसे वह लंबे समय से “माई रॉक” कहते हैं, के बारे में कहा।
मिर्का फेडरर, फेडरर के फिटनेस ट्रेनर पियरे पगनिनी की तरह, फेडरर ने चार दशकों में एक और दिवंगत मेगास्टार सेरेना विलियम्स की तरह स्थायी टेनिस उत्कृष्टता और खेलने की सीमाओं को आगे बढ़ाने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई है।
लेकिन शुक्रवार की मजबूत भावनाएं भव्य सेटिंग और धूमधाम तक सीमित नहीं थीं, स्टैंडिंग ओवेशन और फेडरर बैनर की श्रृंखला तक, जो “फॉरएवर आवर नंबर 1” पढ़ते थे, फेडरर और लूथी के बीच फेडरर के लेने से कुछ समय पहले विस्तारित, कोमल आलिंगन तक। न्यायालय।
टेनिस भी विचलित करने वाला निकला, जिसकी कोई गारंटी नहीं थी कि फेडरर ने लगभग 15 महीनों में किसी भी तरह का सार्वजनिक मैच नहीं खेला था क्योंकि वह 2021 में विंबलडन से क्वार्टर फाइनल में ह्यूबर्ट से सीधे सेटों में हार के साथ बाहर हो गया था। हरकाज़, जिसमें 6-0 का अंतिम सेट शामिल था।
अपनी नवीनतम घुटने की सर्जरी से पूरी तरह से उबरने में असमर्थ, उन्होंने कहा कि वह कुछ हफ्ते पहले भी अनिश्चित थे कि वह बिल्कुल भी खेल पाएंगे। सॉक और टियाफो की टीम वर्ल्ड डबल्स टीम के खिलाफ शुक्रवार की रात एक औपचारिक विदाई समझ में आती, लेकिन फेडरर इससे कहीं ज्यादा कामयाब रहे। मैच में उन्होंने जो पहली गेंद मारी वह विजेता थी: रिफ्लेक्स फोरहैंड वॉली। और यद्यपि उन्होंने एक ग्राउंडस्ट्रोक या दो को गलत तरीके से देखा और जब शॉर्ट गेंद के लिए स्प्रिंट करने का समय आया, तो उन्होंने निश्चित रूप से जनता को काफी कुछ दिया, जिसके लिए उन्होंने दूर-दूर से भुगतान किया।
टेनिस के महान खिलाड़ी मार्टिना नवरातिलोवा ने कहा, “एकल की तुलना में युगल खेलना अधिक कठिन है, क्योंकि आप हमेशा लय में नहीं आते हैं, लेकिन उन्होंने बहुत अच्छा प्रदर्शन किया है।” चैनल। “जब आपके पास इतनी अच्छी तकनीक हो तो वापस आना आसान होता है, और वास्तव में कुछ भी गलत नहीं होता है।”
1990 के दशक के अंत में दौरे में शामिल होने के बाद से फेडरर के खेल में एक अनुग्रह और पवित्रता रही है और वह अभी भी अपना आपा खो रहे थे और नियमित रूप से सेवा कर रहे थे।
लेकिन उन्होंने जल्द ही अपने क्रोध प्रबंधन के मुद्दों को हल कर लिया और एक नए गियर में लात मारी, एक ऐसा कि कोई भी प्रतिद्वंद्वी तब तक लगातार मुकाबला नहीं कर सकता जब तक कि नडाल मिट्टी पर एक अजेय बल के रूप में उभरे और हर दूसरी सतह पर एक बड़ा खतरा बन गया। नोवाक जोकोविच 2010 के दशक में बयाना में प्रमुख पैक में शामिल हुए और निर्विवाद रूप से उस दशक के खिलाड़ी थे, पुरुषों के टेनिस को एक मजबूत सहायक कलाकारों के साथ बिग थ्री में बदल दिया, जिसमें मरे और स्टेन वावरिंका शामिल थे, जिन्होंने प्रत्येक ने तीन प्रमुख एकल खिताब जीते।
फेडरर 20 के साथ समाप्त हुए, इस स्वर्ण युग में नडाल के 22 और जोकोविच के 21 के बाद तीसरे सर्वश्रेष्ठ हैं।
टीम यूरोप के हिस्से के रूप में शुक्रवार रात उन सभी को पीठ पर थप्पड़ और सामरिक युक्तियों को साझा करते हुए देखना पुष्टि कर रहा था।
द बिग थ्री ने दशकों से कई लॉकर रूम और बोर्डरूम साझा किए हैं, लेकिन यह पहली बार था जब वे सभी टीम के साथी थे। एक रात के लिए किनारा बंद था, जो देर रात में बदल गया और मैच 12:26 बजे समाप्त हुआ, भले ही तुलना और विषमता कई वर्षों तक जारी रहेगी।
नडाल के पास अभी के लिए ग्रैंड स्लैम खिताब की बढ़त है, और जोकोविच को लगता है कि फेडरर के 310 से काफी आगे, 373 के साथ अच्छे के लिए लिपटे हुए नंबर 1 पर उनके पास कुल सप्ताह है। लेकिन फेडरर के पास अभी भी उनके गढ़ हैं। वह 103 टूर एकल खिताब के साथ समाप्त हुआ, पुरुषों के लिए ओपन युग में जिमी कोनर्स के 109 के बाद दूसरा। फेडरर आठ विंबलडन एकल खिताब के साथ भी समाप्त हुए, जो सर्वकालिक पुरुषों का रिकॉर्ड है। उनकी कुल छह साल की समाप्ति चैंपियनशिप एक और रिकॉर्ड है, और उनमें से दो एटीपी फाइनल, O2 एरिना में जीते गए थे।
फेडरर बेसल में पले-बढ़े, अक्सर घर के अंदर खेलते थे, अक्सर सर्दियों में अस्थायी फुलाए हुए बुलबुलों के नीचे लाल मिट्टी पर खेलते थे। वह दिल से एक हमलावर खिलाड़ी है, घर पर सबसे बेसलाइन से तंग है और उछाल से पहले गेंद को उल्लेखनीय रूप से हिट करता है। आंद्रे अगासी ने एक बार फेडरर का सामना करने के अनुभव को यह समझाते हुए संक्षेप में बताया कि कोई “सुरक्षित पनाहगाह” नहीं था, एक शॉट लगाने के लिए कोई जगह नहीं थी जहां खतरा नहीं था।
फेडरर के एक साल से अधिक समय तक एक्शन से बाहर रहने के बाद भी शुक्रवार की रात को यह अवधारणा अभी भी समझ में आई, भले ही उनके 41 साल और घुटनों में दर्द स्पष्ट रूप से उनके आंदोलन को सीमित कर दे। उन्होंने अंतिम बदलाव पर अपने नए धीमेपन का मज़ाक उड़ाया, जब उन्होंने समापन टाईब्रेकर के दौरान अपने और नडाल के पहले और एकमात्र मैच बिंदु को बदलने के लिए फोरहैंड को ट्रैक करने में विफल रहने के बाद अपने साथियों के साथ पानी की घूंट के बीच बात की।
लेकिन शॉटमेकिंग अभी भी थी, भले ही पंखदार फुटवर्क न हो। खिंचाव के नीचे, उन्होंने बड़े फोरहैंड रिटर्न, टच वॉली और यहां तक कि एक ट्रेडमार्क ढीले-ढाले इक्का को टी ऊपर मारा। उन्होंने लौटने से पहले अपने रैकेट को भी काटा, अपने दाहिने हाथ की उंगलियों पर उड़ा दिया और विजेताओं के बाद खुशी और समापन के साथ कूद गए, यद्यपि अपने सुनहरे दिनों में उतना ऊँचा नहीं।
वह सब जो गायब था वह एक जीत थी, लेकिन फिर भी इतने सालों में उनमें से बहुत से रहे हैं। और यदि आप प्रतीकवाद की खोज करना चुनते हैं, तो फेडरर के लिए हार में बाहर जाना पूरी तरह से बंद नहीं था।
वह एक बड़ा विजेता रहा है, इसमें कोई संदेह नहीं है, 2004 से 2007 तक खेल पर हावी होने में सक्षम है और 2017 और 2018 में पुनर्जागरण के लिए दहाड़ रहा है। लेकिन उसे खेल के सबसे भव्य चरणों में कुछ कुचल हार को भी सहना पड़ा है, जिसने निश्चित रूप से योगदान दिया है। उसे और अधिक भरोसेमंद चैंपियन बनाने के लिए।
और फिर भी शुक्रवार स्कोर लाइन के लिए नहीं, बल्कि नीचे की रेखा के लिए एक रात थी, और सॉक ने उतना ही अच्छा काम किया जितना कि किसी ने भी इसे स्पष्ट करने के लिए किया क्योंकि उसने फेडरर को नेट पर गले लगा लिया।
“आपकी सराहना करते हैं,” सॉक ने कहा, इससे पहले कि वे अलग हो गए और फेडरर बाएं मुड़ गए और अपने जीवन के बाकी हिस्सों की ओर बढ़ गए।
हालाँकि, शब्द वे नहीं थे जो सबसे अधिक वाक्पटु थे। असली शक्ति भावों में थी, सबसे बढ़कर नडाल की नजर में। अगर किसी आदमी का आगमन उसे इतना याद करेगा, तो हममें से बाकी लोगों को कैसा महसूस होना चाहिए?
The good news is that it’s a yes from the giant, fire-breathing spider. After all, it’s hard to imagine the World Cup without its finest tradition: a 50-ton decommissioned crane arranged in the shape of a monstrous arachnid, loaded with highly flammable fuel and then stocked with a less-than-flammable DJ .
The spider will form the centerpiece of one of the cultural highlights of this winter’s World Cup in Qatar: a month-long electronic music festival called the Arcadia Spectacular, held south of Doha and promotional materials designed to “electrify the atmosphere, extraordinary Sculpting phase”. And the most impressive show on earth.”
The idea at England’s Glastonbury Festival has been framed fairly transparently – the spider itself has been a regular feature there for a decade – and, although it was only announced at a relatively late stage in preparation for the World Cup, organizers had to It is expected to attract approximately 200,000 fans. Each of them should be warned: it turns out that they “will be charmed until late at night.”
The spider, however, won’t be alone, which can potentially be a problem when you’re a nightmarish metal giant.
Arcadia Spectacular Qatar is not the only music festival to be held in 2022. Al Waqarah will have another, hosted by a company called MDLBEST: you can tell it’s going to be cutting edge, because it’s capitalized and it’s also eliminated some of its vowels, which are the oldest-fashioned letters. Huh.
However, these events are only part of the entertainment tapestry offered to fans during the tournament. There is Al Maha Island with an ice-skating rink, circus and theme park; Lusail, the first city built for the World Cup, will have a “vehicle parade” and futuristic light shows on Central Boulevard; Doha Corniche, 4 miles of wandering street performers and “carnival atmosphere”; And, of course, there are beach clubs, fan parks and, around every stadium for every game, the charmingly named “Last Mile Cultural Activation.”
Qatar, in other words, has been as good as its word: it promised it would do a show, and it has delivered. No expense has been made. No stone has been left unturned. Its plans are grand, and ambitious, and brilliant for what can be called a tournament experience.
It’s only a shame that they don’t, in any way, reflect what the fans want or need, and that they betray such a fundamental misunderstanding – both on the part of the local organizers. And more perniciously than, FIFA itself – is this what makes the World Cup special.
It’s not football that makes the World Cup, not really. There are times when games are captivating and nail-biting and heartbreaking, of course, when what happens on the field is like a bright, permanent tattoo or a mark of pain on the collective memory. But more often, it’s something a little more ethereal. The World Cup is, at heart, a feeling.
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For example, the most memorable thing about Russia four years ago was not the winning French team. It was not the Croatian side that propelled the nation of 5 million to the pinnacle of ultimate glory. It was also not the sight of Germany, the reigning champion, crashing in the group stage, or Spain self-immolating.
No, what made Russia 2018 – especially now, considering how unrealistic that month in the sun seems – was Nikolskaya, a street in central Moscow that became a hub for fans around the world, Which was full of flags and buns and songs. It was the sight of thousands of Peruvians on the streets of Saransk, a red stripe in their hearts. It was the feeling that, even in the vast land of steppe and mountain and forest, you were never more than 6 feet from a Colombian.
That joy, that sense of oneness, doesn’t just touch the people present. It spreads like a smile to many, many more looking at home. It not only provides the soundtrack for the games but also the background. It turns stadiums from sterile bowls into something full of life. It simply takes a soccer tournament and turns it into an event. It cannot be forced. It cannot be ordered into an existence. It has to conceive, develop, ferment.
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There are many reasons to criticize the idea of a World Cup in Qatar. First and foremost, there are ongoing concerns about human rights, the irritating morality of a tournament built on and by indentured labor. There’s also the troubling uncertainty, over how welcoming gay fans might be, will it really be a tournament for everyone.
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But although this downplays the importance of those issues, it is also worth considering what kind of World Cup this could be, because it is there that it is possible to see clearly that not only Qatar – and especially FIFA – Who thinks the world is up to the biggest sporting event, but what is it.
In August, three months before the tournament began, Qatar announced Arcadia Fabulous with their formidable steel tarantula. It seemed strange to reveal such a huge addition to the slate in such a short period of time, but much of the World Cup has clearly been a last-minute breeze. It is as if all the effort, all the energy was put into securing the tournament and building the stadiums, so that at the very last moment one has to wonder about all the people who might come to watch.
Nowhere is this clearer than in the accommodations expected to be attended by millions of fans in November and December. Even now, less than two months later, not all of the accommodation being prepared for the tournament is available to book, which is very good reason why it’s not all ready.
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And there is cost. Tournament organizers say Qatar has a “comfortable list of fans”: they say, there will be “130,000 rooms” for fans each night of the tournament. With options ranging from hotels to villas and apartments and cruise ships, luxury tents, simple cabins and even camper vans, there is “something to suit everyone.” A spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said “the cheapest option is “as little as $80 per room per night.”
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While that’s true, it’s not quite clear what that $80 buys you. Many organizations representing fan interests cast significant doubts about what types of facilities will be offered at cabin parks. It is not yet clear, a representative said, if people living in the park will be able to watch the game on television, or how they will access food and water. (The Supreme Committee insists that there will be food trucks at each site.)
Nor is it entirely clear what proportion of available accommodation can be counted as “suitable for the budget-conscious traveller”, as the Qatar Accommodation Agency website, central to booking rooms in Qatar during tournaments Portal, it puts. (The Supreme Committee did not specify what percentage of the available rooms in Qatar could be considered relatively low-cost for the tournament.)
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Currently, apartments are available for $102 per person per night for certain dates, although they come with a caveat that availability is running low. Miss out on them and the price creeps up quickly. Other options start at $300 per night. A luxury tent costs more than $400. A berth on a cruise ship starts at around $500. Hotels can raise up to thousands of dollars for a night.
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Of course, it is not unusual for prices to rise during a major event. Just as they may be in a Champions League final, or in the Super Bowl, fans are expected to score a handful of goals when they choose – and it’s important to remember that this is a choice – to attend. For. The price of flights increases almost immediately. A premium is added to hotel rooms. Private tenants get the opportunity. There’s nothing like sport for the ugliest celebration of capitalism.
But although this problem is certainly not unique to Qatar, it is certainly more pronounced. South Africa and Brazil and Russia may also attract existing networks of cheap hostels and midrange hotels, as well as private homes available on Airbnb.
Their prices went up as well, and the photos – from bitter personal experience – didn’t always match reality, but it was possible to participate in all those tournaments on a relative budget. The more adventurous the person may be able to rent a van, or pitch a tent, or squeeze into a hotel room with far more friends, as advised.
Neither of these options is available in Qatar. The existing hotel infrastructure is almost exclusively luxury. Many of the hotels that have been built for the tournament are surprisingly the same. Some hostels seem to have been booked. As of late, authorities have allowed Qatari residents to rent out their homes privately, but doing so at the last minute doesn’t exactly scream “low cost.”
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This is the World Cup as Qatar envisions it, and FIFA as it appears: a premium product, a lifestyle experience that can be achieved at a certain price point, a sport for the corporate class. The grounds of the traveling wealthy, luxury travellers. It is a phenomenon designed by consultants, for consultants, to be the kind of space in which a giant, fire-breathing spider is hired to disguise the absence of sensation in the spectacle.
And this World Cup, sadly, will be poor for it. The atmosphere of a carnival is not something that can be brought into existence. It’s not possible to take all of Glastonbury’s stages and sets and logistics and recreate them anywhere, just as it’s not possible to take the organic, authentic melts from thousands of fans around the world and replace it. A series of “cultural events” and “sponsor activities”.
What makes the World Cup, who always makes the World Cup, are the people. Neither on the field, nor in the stands, but those who come just to be there, just to sample it, to add color and sound and enjoyment.
It’s hard not to worry that many of those fans would have been left out of Qatar, or excluded from being allowed into the country without tickets for a game, and sentiment would change with them, calling the tournament off. An ersatz version of itself, an homage to all the things money can buy—including a flame-throwing spider—and all the things it can’t.
“This week the lockdown is being eased and we can go out and run. I need to train outside. Training at home will not be enough. Will you come with me?” Jhulan Goswami asked this writer.
This was in May 2021 when the country was under the influence of a second wave. The walls of the house were getting claustrophobic. Each day was a grim reminder that things weren’t perfect. The sport had not yet picked up on the world stage and it was not something no one had ever seen before. Goswami was getting restless.
“Every moment I am at home affects my fitness and my health,” she said.
Time was calling to him and no one knew it better than Goswami himself. With an insatiable hunger to perform for the team and move on till the last step, she had asked about the N95 masks she needed for training and wanted to take some to England.
Goswami was not worried about the virus. What mattered was cricket.
At 38, Goswami was ready for the tough yard. Waking up at 5 a.m. before people arrive, planning innovative exercises at home to keep things going, running more laps than every young man she trains with. This was Goswami throughout his career. All she knew was hard work, not leaving things to chance and preparing her best.
For two decades, Goswami could not afford to disappoint thousands of aspiring women whose sense of self-confidence was shaped by him. Indians can bowl fast, redefine the narrative and aspire to greatness is Goswami’s contribution to the game.
Goswami took his wickets in front of thousands. She was for fans in flesh and blood, for people to experience and be a part of her journey, to enjoy and consume the acts that had preceded her.
Women’s cricket has been accustomed to discrimination for the longest time before Mithali Raj and Goswami. He was used to the narrative of deprivation, content to play second fiddle.
The story of Goswami was different. It was domination and claim, victory and achievement, bowling fast and breaking taboos, creating a niche that many would now like to emulate.
How can one best describe Goswami? That she was one of the best things I’ve seen in the world is known and accepted. It is also known that she was the most diligent and conscientious. What can be added here is that she was equally obsessed, a quality that was necessary to be great. His longevity as a fast bowler is a testament to this.
“I was moving up and down in the room till around 3.30 pm. My mind was filled with self-doubt. It was not a happy place,” Goswami had said a day after a no-ball resulted in India’s ODI win against Australia in September 2021.
She was not one to forgive and forget.
“After sleeping really late, I woke up the next morning at around 10.30”, she said.
“Within a few minutes Harmanpreet (Kaur) and Smriti (Mandhana) called me and said they were taking me out for breakfast. I have my own routine for pre match day mornings but they were insisting that I break my routine. They didn’t give me a chance,” she laughed.
His teammates at breakfast helped him relax and focus on the third and final game.
“When I came out to bowl for the final ODI, my body was in pain but my mind was racing. I had to do well.” He scored the winning run and helped India win the match.
She wouldn’t rest easily otherwise. She was fine to let herself down, but when it came to her team, it was non-negotiable. He has done the same thing throughout his career.
And by doing so, he earned himself the status of a legend in his game. The game is poor now.
Women’s cricket will miss him. And she will miss being in the middle and running for India. But she knows that she has given her everything. Every ball thrown was a symbol of effort. He enriched his game and inspired many. She may not have won the World Cup, but she was part of a revolution in Indian women’s cricket.
India will be hoping for their lead bowlers Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal to take on Australia in the deciding third T20 International of the series here on Sunday.
India were able to bridge the gap in Nagpur to level the three-match series with a comprehensive win in the eight-over-a-side contest. But they will need their bowlers, especially Harshal and Chahal, to recover from their struggles ahead of the T20 World Cup.
India had an electric start in the previous game, with Axar Patel bowling a quick in the two overs that included some wickets but they struggled towards the end of the innings.
While Jasprit Bumrah will take over the responsibility, senior seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s poor performance in the death overs is a real concern. He struggled in the Asia Cup and in the opener against Australia.
He was dropped for the second T20, perhaps because skipper Rohit Sharma felt he needed only four bowlers for eight overs, but Bhuvneshwar’s form was worrying.
Death overs specialist Harshal, who is returning from injury, has also not inspired confidence and probably needs a few more matches to find his rhythm.
The right-arm medium pacer, who relies on his variations to be effective, has conceded 81 runs in his six overs at an economy rate of 13.50 and is the costliest bowler in the series. He has struggled to get his length right without a wicket.
India rely on their spinners in the middle overs and while Akshar has been a big positive, Chahal has faltered. He scored a lot of runs in the Asia Cup and this trend continued against Australia.
India, however, will breathe a sigh of relief as Bumrah was at his old best, showing no signs of war after returning from his back injury.
In the batting department, the famous top-order of Rohit, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli needs to be more consistent. All three have not fired in unison for some time.
Suryakumar Yadav has also been poor in the last few matches and Hardik Pandya has put in a match-winning performance.
Another chink in the armor of Indian batsmen is leg spin. The leggies have continued to struggle against and Adam Zampa has used this weakness well.
Dinesh Karthik, who played his part as a finisher in the previous game, is likely to get more playing time.
Skipper Rohit would also like to try out similar player Axar in place of injured Ravindra Jadeja with the bat to see how the all-rounder performs in critical situations. Additionally, he is the only left-handed batsman other than Rishabh Pant.
The Australians, on the other hand, will also be concerned with their bowling.
After beating India in the first game, the Australians were on the receiving end in the second match, eventually losing by six wickets. While Aaron Finch and Matthew Wade managed to score runs on the board, their bowling department failed miserably once again.
Fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Daniel Sams conceded 11 runs in an over in the absence of injured Nathan Ellis. All-rounder Cameron Green has also been expensive.
Wade has been fantastic with the Willows, but with a World Cup to defend in his backyard, the Aussie team management would love big-hitter Glenn Maxwell, who has scored just one run in two matches.
Come Sunday, both teams will look to iron out the flaws in their respective armor and come out on top, as a series win at the close of the World Cup will be a real moral booster.
Teams from:
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.
