Jemimah Rodrigues played the exceptional innings as India sailed into the Women’s World Cup final, defeating seven-time champions Australia. Her knock of 127 runs off 133 in semi-final was an exhibition of poise, grit, and real class against one of the most fearsome teams in cricket history. Off the field, though, Rodrigues revealed that she had been battling anxiety, admitting to breaking down in tears almost every day ahead of the match.
“Today was not about my 50 or my 100. Today was about making India win. I know I got a few chances, but I just feel like God has given everything at the right time and he grew it into the right intention, pure intention. And I just feel everything has happened so far just to sit up for this. You make your own luck,” Jemimah said
“Firstly, last year I was dropped from this World Cup. This year I came and I thought, okay, I’ll try it. I was in good form, let’s take it more. But things back-to-back just kept happening, and I couldn’t control anything. I had such amazing people around me who believed in me. I’ve almost cried every day throughout this tour. I was not doing well mentally, going through a lot of anxiety. Then being dropped was rather a challenge for me. But I think all I had to do was show up and God just took care of everything,” she added.
Despite all the internal battles, Rodrigues showed amazing mental strength at the most opportune moment. With her attention only on taking India through to the final, Rodrigues didn’t celebrate her century, saving the emotions for after she sealed it with tears of relief and pride flowing finally. Reflecting on her journey, Rodrigues candidly spoke about overcoming self-doubt after the heartbreak of being dropped last year and how the pain was converted into motivation for redemption with one of the finest innings in Women’s World Cup history.
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“I think initially I was just trying to stay focussed, I just keep talking to myself. But towards the end I was just quoting one scripture from the Bible. Because I had lost energy, I was very tired. I was doing one scripture that said, “Just stand still and God will fight for you”. And I just stood there and he fought for me,” the 25-year-old said.
And during the match-winning knock, Jemimah constantly spoke to herself to keep her calm under pressure. During the nerve-wracking moments of the final, drawing on her faith, she silently recited a Bible verse to keep her focus and composure intact.
