Cricket: Jhulan Goswami opens up about the England tour, says 'Test cricket is about the mind'

Jhulan Goswami has commended the former head coach WV Raman and expressed that the team learned a lot from the 55-year-old during his stint with the Indian women's cricket team. The veteran likewise congratulated Ramesh Powar on his restoration. 

Indian women's cricket has ended up in the midst of a few debates as of late, with the most recent being WV Raman's removal as head coach. Raman had succeeded Powar as a head coach after BCCI didn't extend the latter's contract post the 2018 Women's T20 World Cup. There was significant aftermath among Powar and Mithali Raj. 

During his tenure, Raman guided India to the final of the 2020 Women's T20 World Cup in Australia. Jhulan Goswami thanked the veteran for buckling down with the Indian womens' squad and added that she wouldn't compare the two mentors.

“I would like to congratulate Ramesh and we are looking forward to working with him. It was a great experience to work with Raman but I am not going to compare. He has worked hard on us and he taught us a lot of things from his coaching experience over the years. I want to wish him well for his future," Goswami told Sportstar.

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The recent developments have removed the spotlight from the Indian women's tour of England, where they will play their first Test match in quite a while. As a senior cricketer, Goswami knows about the difficulties that Test cricket will present, and she trusts it's more about the psychological change that will end up being the differentiator. 

“Even in the domestic tournaments, there are more multi-day games and no red-ball cricket as such. After a long time, the whole team will be switching from white ball to red ball. It all depends on how our bodies react after being on the field for 90 overs.“It is not only about skills but also mental toughness. Test cricket is about the mind. You have to stay strong in your mind because you need thinking powers to analyze the game situation in different sessions," she added.

"Practice and preparation depend on the Covid protocols that one needs to follow today. We really don’t know where the pandemic is going to take us eventually. There are lots of restrictions but as professional athletes, we have to prepare mentally so that we can adapt under any circumstances. For any team, going and performing in England is a challenge as the weather plays a huge role in those wickets. The one who can adjust to the weather and wicket faster will be successful," Goswami explained.

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In India, cricket is considered as a religion, a peculiarly ardent religion at that and one with ostensibly the greatest number of adherents. The cricketing competitors are essentially the divinities of confidence and pride for each Indian. Jhulan Goswami is one of the significant individuals from the incredibly skilled Indian squad.

Albeit not emphatically assembled, she bowls with a smooth, simple run-up and has been the lead strike bowler for the Indian team for close to two decades. One of the consistent female bowlers, continually hitting the 120kph imprint, she is infamous for creating movement off the pitch.

With 329 international wickets, she drives the wicket-takers list, and the Bristol Test will be the eleventh of her profession. A lot of India Women's accomplishments in the seamer-friendly English conditions will rely upon how the 38-year-old passages.