India’s march into the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup final was scripted by resilience, audacity, and unwavering self-belief. At the center of it all stood Jemimah Rodrigues, the 25-year-old dynamo whose post-match reflections after India’s record-breaking five-wicket win against Australia at the DY Patil Stadium illuminated both the personal and collective triumphs that shaped the semi-final narrative.
Third-highest run-scorer for India with 268 runs at a strike rate of 106.34 and an average of 67 in six innings, Rodrigues has blended flair and fortitude, notching one half-century and her maiden World Cup ton, the critical knock that powered India’s world-record chase in the high-pressure semi-final.
Faced with a formidable 339-run target set by Australia, the Indian camp chose courage over caution. “Yeah, I think when this score came, the team’s thought was that against New Zealand in 49 overs, we had scored 340, against Australia and Vizag, where we had scored 330. So, we knew that we’ve done it against this team, and I felt with the way Australia started, they were 30 runs short with the way they were going, with the start they got. So, I knew they were 30 runs short, and DY Patil is such a pitch that any score is chaseable.
So, I just knew that, and my thought process was that I just had to be there because runs do come, but I need to be there to get those runs,” Rodrigues revealed, encapsulating the fearless resolve and tactical clarity that have come to define her role at number three.
Rodrigues’ journey through the chase unfolded as a testament to both skill and spirit, especially in moments of fatigue. “Yeah, I was praying I was talking to myself because actually I had lost a lot of energy. I was not feeling, I was feeling very tired, and because of the tiredness, I was playing a few shots, that you know, it was a very tricky phase at that time. Should I go (attack) right now, or should I take it deep? So I think that was one learning for me also to just stay there, you know, towards the end we always take it deep, but yeah, I was praying I was talking to God because I feel that I have a personal relationship with him and when I cannot carry myself he always carries me,” she admitted in the press conference, laying bare a vulnerable, human side beneath the on-field warrior.
The humid cauldron of Navi Mumbai simmered with memories of stinging defeats, chases that slipped away against Australia’s relentless attack. “Yeah, I think first the first thing I would answer is that I have been a part of chases I think against Australia almost three chases where we were going well we got it to run a ball and we lost from there and I think those moments taught me a lot and I just wanted to be there to finish it off,” Rodrigues asserted, referencing both heartbreak and growth.
The communication in the middle reflected this learning curve, “We had a group discussion we were just saying what all we could do better in this World Cup and all I said was that I want to be there till the end and finish the game, whether we are batting first I know if I am there I can make a partnership and you know get those 20-30 runs extra because I run well pick gaps, unusual gaps, if we are chasing then I want to make sure I take the team through and this just feels like a dream actually”.
Rodrigues shunned personal milestones in favour of a collective vision, “I didn’t play for my 100, I didn’t play to prove a point at number 3, I didn’t play for my 50, I just played to make sure India win at that board. I wanted to see India win at the end, and that was my only motivation,” she declared, speaking in the press conference. The innings, 127* off 134 balls, will linger not for the numbers alone, but for the intent that powered India past Australia’s defences and into the final.
The defining partnership with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (167-run third wicket) was built on mutual understanding and urgency, especially as wickets tumbled: “Actually, when you said that, I remember at that point I also felt that way because and I was telling Harry di (Harmanpreet Kaur) that we both have to finish it. But actually it wasn’t a blessing, but it’s like a blessing in disguise for me because I was kind of losing my focus because of my tiredness but when Harry di (Harmanpreet Kaur) got out I think that added more responsibility to me that okay I need to be here okay she is out I’ll score for her and I think that again got me in the right zone then I started just you know sensibly playing so yeah”.
Post-match, Rodrigues did not shy away from sharing her struggles, anxiety, exclusion, and self-doubt layered her tournament with emotional weight. “I was going through a lot of anxiety at the starting of the tournament, before few games also I used to call my mom and cry…my mom my dad they supported me a lot and also there was Arundhati (Arundhati Reddy) who I think almost everyday I’ve cried in front of her, there was Smriti (Smriti Mandhana) who helped me she also knew what I was going through, there has been Radha (Yadav) who is you know always been there taking care of me like I am so blessed to have friends I can call family. The bible says that weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning, and today joy came, but I am still weeping,” she recounted, forging a connection with those who may battle similar storms.
Despite missing the previous World Cup, Rodrigues’ resolve was to contribute, not simply regain her spot: “To be honest when I was dropped obviously when I came in to this world cup being dropped the last World Cup I wanted to come out there and not prove a point but just do things that my team wins I kept reminding myself that because it is very easy to get into that mindset and that mindset never has helped me,” she reflected. The semi-final century was special, but Rodrigues left no doubt: “I am saving one more for the finals”.
When promoted to bat at three, her preparation was methodical and deeply personal: “I was kind of prepared for it when I thought that, ok maybe the score is there they might send me, so when that notice came I wasn’t like unaware I was ready for it, once I walked in there I just thought of how would I play for a Mumbai team when I lead Mumbai how would I do it there because I knew I needed to be there build a partnership with Smriti or Harman or whoever comes in from there what would I do and I know how important this match is and I wanted to be there to finish it off, just kept telling myself just stand just stand here, amazing things can happen towards the end”.
India’s win shattered Australia’s 15-match unbeaten streak and secured their third appearance in a World Cup final, now poised for a historic decider against South Africa.
Jemimah Rodrigues’ semi-final story is a fabric woven from grit, faith, vulnerability, and a team-first ethos. Her words interlace the weight of her personal battles with the magnitude of India’s milestone, offering a masterclass in how cricket’s moments, on and off the field, are shaped by what lies beneath the numbers. Every run, every prayer, every tear told the story of a champion who has taken the center stage.
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