She would spit fire even while bowling at me in nets: Mithali Raj pays tribute to longtime teammate Jhulan Goswami

India's finest ever batter Mithali, who called time on a glorious career in July, on Saturday welcomed her contemporary and fast-bowling great Jhulan into the former cricketers' club. Having shared the dressing room for close to two decades, Mithali and Jhulan saw the massive growth of women's cricket in India, shared many memorable wins and also some heartbreaking losses.

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Speaking to PTI on Jhulan's immense impact, longevity and relentless hardwork over the years, Mithali began by talking about the 'Chakdaha Express'' early days when she came into the Indian team as a 19-year-old. "We are of the same age, so we have that comfort level and communication. It was always very easy to reach out to her and speak to her. Someone who was always high on energy on the ground, may be because she is a fast bowler," said Mithali. The 39-year-old became the leading wicket-taker in ODIs through sheer dedication. Though swing was not her biggest weapon, accuracy and use of the seam got her a bagful of wickets.

The competitive spirit in Jhulan was very much evident even in the nets, recalled Mithali. "In the nets, I would often ask her 'why are you spitting fire, you are my teammate only na'. Then she would say 'to get out is the toughest'. She always had the competitive streak including domestic cricket where we played against each other often. I enjoyed that rivalry as well." A fast bowler is expected to have a tough exterior but Jhulan was also gentle at heart. Mithali recollected a game in domestic cricket that revealed Jhulan's