Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami: After shouldering Team India for two decades, #MilJhul battle on

The origins of the hashtag #MilJhul, often used to celebrate Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami together on social media, remain shrouded in mystery. Even Karunya Keshav, co-author of the seminal The Fire Burns Blue that contains a chapter bearing the hashtag as a title, is not sure how it came into being.

Despite the slightly forced third letter, one cannot help but admire the brilliant choice of the Hindi word that epitomises how the giants, at times in isolation but almost always in unison, have shouldered the burden of carrying India Women over the past two decades.

Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami have carried the Indian team on their shoulders over the last two decades. Image: Twitter/@ICC

Their oft-recollected backgrounds could not have been more different. Raj grew up in an affluent, disciplinarian family in Hyderabad. Cricket was a career her parents chose for her, one that forced her to forego Bharatnatyam, her true passion.

Goswami wanted to be a cricketer ever since she saw the 1992 Men’s World Cup. She always played tennis-ball cricket in Chakdaha, eighty kilometres away from Calcutta. She took the local train thrice a week to practice at Vivekananda Park. Her parents needed to be convinced by her coach for that.

And yet, the backgrounds could not have been more similar either, for they grew up in an India that was oblivious to the idea of women taking up cricket as a profession. India Women did not play international cricket between 1986 and 1993, and – with the exception of the 1997 World Cup – between 1995 and 1999.

This was the decade Raj and Goswami grew up in.

Raj arrived in international cricket first, with a hundred on debut, in 1999. Next February, Goswami had her first go at Raj, in the Under-19 Chandra Tripathi tournament, in Rae Bareilly. Goswami clean bowled Raj first ball. In less than two years, she would debut for India too.

Two decades later, they are set to play in a World Cup, almost certainly their last. Not only are they the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in ODIs – the most prevalent format during their careers – they are also the proverbial mile ahead of the others.

Raj is clearly significantly ahead of anyone else. Edwards, the next person on the list, has not only scored more than 21% fewer runs than her, but has also retired. In fact, of the top five, Raj and Taylor are the only active cricketers.

While four of the five leading wicket-takers are active, Goswami has a substantial lead over anyone else. In fact, her lead over Fitzpatrick (27%), the second name on the list, is even more than what Raj has over Edwards.

The numbers are relevant, as were their numerous milestones and achievements. Lack of coverage meant that fans back home missed out on some of their best years. For years, thus, Raj’s cover drives did not evoke the astonishment they do today. There was no speed gun to clock Goswami.

The likes of Veda Krishnamurthy and Shikha Pandey, thus, grew up on #MilJhul without watching them as much as they should have. They read about their achievements, sometimes catching a glimpse, but more than anything, they grew up on the feats of the two giants.

It is not very common to find two leaders – that, too, by such margin – with careers that have overlapped for two decades. That they have been teammates at the highest level makes it even more remarkable. Two seniors sharing a dressing room often leads to ego clashes, something India Women are not strangers to. Thankfully, as close friends and mutual fans, they had never let that happen, despite replacing each other as captain.

And what makes their feat even more remarkable is the fact that despite their age – both are 39 – they have outdone their counterparts even in recent years.

Mandhana has just edged past Raj over the past few years. Question marks have also been raised over her ability to score quickly. While Mandhana’s numbers make absurd reading, the others have fallen significantly short in average. Raut has come the closest, but she has also scored at a slower pace.

There has been no such issue with Goswami, who has continued to play the dual role of strike bowler and stock bowler even in her late thirties. This, for a team that has traditionally thrived on spin, at times going in with four spinners even outside the subcontinent.

While they have little to prove, both Raj and Goswami will be keen on finishing their World Cup careers on a high. Despite the numerous records in near-impeccable careers, an ICC trophy – often perceived as the ultimate prize in a cricket-crazy nation – continues to remain elusive.

India made it to the World Cup final in 2005 before crashing out early in 2009 and 2013. They came close in 2017. They did not win the trophy, but it was a triumph that witnessed an unprecedented surge in the following of Women’s cricket in India.

Raj and Goswami have, between them, influenced girls of a generation to take up cricket. A World Cup triumph telecast back home will probably provide a boost strong enough to break down more barriers.

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