India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur said that the entire team is eager to give a befitting farewell to veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami who will retire from international cricket after the third and final ODI against England women, which will be played at Lord’s on Saturday.
Goswami, 39, is set to bid adieu to the game after a glorious two-decade-long career at the end of the ongoing tour of England, in which India lost the T20I series 1-2, but has a 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series and will be looking to make in 3-0 on September 24.
The last time the Indian women won an ODI series in England was in 1999 when they triumphed 2-1.
"The Lord's game is very special for us because it's Jhulan's retirement and we wanted to enjoy that game without any pressure and I'm really happy that we were able to win today and now we can just have fun in that game," said Harmanpreet Kaur.
It's very important (to win) because that will be her last game. It will be a very emotional moment for all of us and we definitely want to win that game. Moreover, after winning the series now we just want to have fun because I know it's the last game for her,” she added.
The skipper said Goswami has been a true inspiration for all the players, including herself. Harmanpreet Kaur made her India debut under the captaincy of Jhulan Goswami in 2009.
"She's someone who has taught us a lot. When I debuted she was a leader and I learned a lot from her now our young bowlers, like Renuka (Singh) and Meghna Singh, they are also learning from her. They are learning how she bowls and getting that rhythm from her. She's been a great inspiration for all of us and we've learned a lot from her,” Harmanpreet Kaur said paying tribute to Jhulan Goswami.
The third ODI will be the first time both sides will play at Lord's since their meeting at the 2017 World Cup final, which England won by nine runs.
(PTI inputs)
