Dreams do come true! When India's Jhulan Goswami played the World Cup final at Lords

The Indian women’s cricket team may have lost the World Cup final at Lord’s, but their spirit remains unbroken. High on their new-found fame and admiration, the team’s star bowler and all-rounder Jhulan Goswami shares just how special it was to play at the iconic ground. “When I first visited the venue in 2001, I went there as a tourist and collected a bit of grass from the outfield, not knowing if I would return to the venue or be in the dressing room... playing the World Cup final at Lords was a dream come true,” said the 34-year-old.

Almost everyone on the team shares Goswami’s feeling, including opening batswoman Smriti Mandhana. “As a kid, I used to dream of playing at Lord’s. In 2014, we had a chance but missed out because the match was washed out. But I remember ‘Jhulu di’ (Goswami) telling me and Shikha (Pandey) that if we played well enough, the finals of the World Cup would be held here and we would get to play.”.


India's Jhulan Goswami (C) waits to receive a runners up medal after losing the ICC Women's World Cup cricket final between England and India at Lord's cricket ground in London. (Image: AFP)