Asian Games: Journey has just begun for Titas, says Jhulan Goswami

A day after India women’s cricket team claimed gold at the Asian Games, their 18-year-old pace sensation Titas Sadhu is still creating ripples in the fraternity. The tall Bengal seamer, who made his senior international debut only in the semi-final against Bangladesh in China, rattled the Sri Lankan top order to emerge as the Player of the Final. 

Standing at 5’ 8 inches, Titas wreaked havoc by finishing with figures of 4-1-6-3, which included the wicket of skipper Chamari Athapaththu, one of finest batters in current women’s game. Her height and her ability to generate pace and movement off the pitch had been a talking point, though her  mentor Jhulan Goswami is hardly surprised.   

Goswami, a legend of the game who bid adieu to international cricket after 20 years in 2022, was quick to spot the raw talent in Titas when she was bowling at the nets as a 15-year-old. ‘’The journey has just begun for her. I was impressed by the way she kept her calm in the final on Monday while I also saw the same quality in her during the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year. It’s not easy to be just be yourself in a high pressure final and not try extra hard,’’ said Goswami. 

Speaking to National Herald a day after the final, the highest wicket taker in the history of women’s One Day Internationals continued: ‘’The surface at Hangzhou was slow and she focused on bowling straight from close to the stumps, making it difficult for the batters to put her away.’’ A breakdown of her figures show that Titas had bowled 18 dot balls out of the 24, a testimony to her control and accuracy. 

The current year has seen the athletic girl, who hails from a sporting family in Chinsurah of Hooghly district, grow in leaps and bounds as a professional. Titas was awarded Player of the Match in the U-19 World T20 final against England as well, where she picked up two wickets from her four overs at the expense of just six runs.  

She was also a part of the women’s emerging team in Asia Cup tournament as well while a break in the senior women’s team seemed a matter of time. Titas represented Delhi Capitals in the inaugural Women’s Premier League, though she could be subject of a bidding war once the current cycle ends. 

While Titas had been gushing about how Jhulan di had taught her the nuances of bowling in big match situations, Goswami looked back at her formative years with a sense of pride. ‘’When I first mooted the idea of fast-tracking Titas into the senior Bengal team, some officials were apprehensive due to her tender age. However, she did her make her debut and was soon noticed for a look-in at the junior India team and has not looked back. From what I have seen, she has been a quick learner and would often pick your brains about the finer points of the game,’’ she said. 

Asked whether Titas has the potential to lead India’s new ball attack in time to come, Goswami was guarded in her optimism. ‘’Only time can answer that. All I can say is that she has all the ingredients to play international cricket for years to come, though the real test will come when she bowls against teams like England, Australia and New Zealand,’’ she signed off.