Trisha Ghosal in Mumbai
Jemimah Rodrigues stood tall under the DY Patil lights, exhausted, teary-eyed, and victorious. Her unbeaten 127* scripted India’s sensational chase of 339 against Australia in the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final, a night that felt less like a match and more like a story of redemption.
“I didn’t play for my hundred, I played for India to win”
Jemimah’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke about her mindset. “It hasn’t sunk in yet,” she said. “I didn’t play for my hundred, I didn’t play to prove a point at No. 3, I just played to make sure India won. When you play for the team and not yourself, God favours you.”
Her innings wasn’t just about runs but resilience, coming after a month where she admitted battling anxiety and self-doubt.
Battling anxiety and finding strength
In a moving moment, Jemimah chose honesty over pretence. “At the start of the tournament, I was struggling with anxiety. I used to call my mum and cry before matches,” she revealed. “My parents, Smriti, Radha, Arundhati, they stood by me when I couldn’t believe in myself.”
Quoting from Scripture, she added softly, “The Bible says, ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.’ Today joy came… but I’m still weeping.”
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“When I can’t carry myself, He always carries me”
At one point during her innings, Jemimah was seen kneeling between deliveries. Asked if she was praying, she smiled: “Yes, I was praying and talking to God. I was exhausted and losing focus, but I know when I can’t carry myself, He always carries me.”
Learning from past chases and taking charge
Having been part of close defeats in previous run chases, Jemimah said those failures shaped this victory. “Against Australia, we’ve been here before and lost. This time, I told myself. I want to be there till the end. We had chased 333 in Vizag before; I knew we could do it again.”
Dropped, doubted, but determined
Dropped from the 2022 World Cup and even benched during this one, Jemimah reflected: “Being dropped really hurt. But I didn’t want to prove a point. I wanted to win for India. This knock is special because of everything I’ve gone through. But I’m saving one more for the finals.”
The moment before walking in
“When I got the message, I was actually in the shower!” she laughed. “But once I walked in, I kept telling myself, just stand, just stay. Amazing things can happen towards the end. Give God a chance.”
And amazing things did happen. India are in the World Cup final, and Jemimah Rodrigues, once anxious and uncertain, now stands as the heartbeat of India’s dream run.
Also Read: Jemimah, Harmanpreet script history as India knock out Australia in thrilling semi-final