Jemimah Rodrigues revealed the mental battle she endured in the weeks leading up to her match-winning unbeaten 127 against Australia in the Women’s World
Cup semi-final, describing a difficult period marked by anxiety that left her feeling numb and brought her to tears.
The Indian batter broke down during the post-match press conference, sharing that she wanted to speak openly about her experience in the hope that it might help others going through similar challenges. India Women defeated Australia Women in the semi-final on Thursday, October 30, at the Dr. D. Y. Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, securing a five-wicket victory to book their place in the World Cup final.
"I will be very vulnerable here because I know if someone is watching, this might be going through the same thing and that's my whole purpose of saying it. Nobody likes to talk about their weaknesses. I was going through a lot of anxiety at the start of the tournament," Rodrigues said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"It was a lot, you know, before a few games also, I used to call my mom and cry the entire time, let it all out. Because when you are going through anxiety, you just feel numb. You don't know what to do. You are trying to be yourself. And also in this time, my mum, my dad, they supported me a lot. And also there was Arundhati [Reddy], who I think almost every day I have cried in front of her,” she added.
Rodrigues had entered the semi-final on the back of an unbeaten 76 against New Zealand, but her tournament had begun on a shaky note with a series of low scores, including two ducks. She was also left out of the playing XI for the match against England, as India opted to strengthen their bowling attack with an extra bowler.
"Later I was joking, saying 'you don't come in front of me, I will start crying.' But she checked on me every single day. There was Smriti [Mandhana], who helped me. She also knew what I was going through. In a few of the net sessions, she was just standing there. Even yesterday she came, she just stood there, just because he just knows that her presence is important for me. There has been Radha [Yadav], who has always been there, taking care of me. I am so blessed to have friends, I can call family, that I didn't have to go through it alone. And it's okay to ask for help,” said Rodrigues.
Rodrigues admitted that it was difficult to remain patient during her rough patch, but she chose to stay resilient and trust that her time would come. In India’s chase of 339, she showcased that belief, staying at the crease for almost the entire innings after coming in at No. 3 in just the second over.
"My family went through a lot, but everyone stood by me, and believed in me when I didn't, when I couldn't. And it started with the anxiety thing. Then I was dropped from the team [for the match against England]. That really hit me. When you are dropped, you have a lot of doubts because I always want to contribute to the team. But that day, I couldn't do much sitting out. And then, when you come back in, it's a lot more pressure than everything that was happening in the past month,” said Rodrigues.
"But sometimes all you need to do is, just hang in there and things fall into place. So, I am very grateful for the people who believed in me when I couldn't, and were there for me and understood me because I couldn't do this on my own,” she added.
Rodrigues remained unbeaten on 127 off 134 balls, steering India to a five-wicket victory with nine balls to spare. Her innings, however, did feature a moment of fortune when she was dropped by Alyssa Healy on 82. When asked to rate her knock, Rodrigues reflected on the mental strength and composure she managed to maintain throughout the innings rather than the runs themselves.
"I mean, how do I rate this innings? Actually, I have not let it sink in. All I would say was I didn't play for my 100. I didn't play to prove a point at No. 3. I didn't play for my 50. I just played to make sure India won. I wanted to see India win at the end and that was my only motivation. I think when you have that thought process, I think God also favours you. You do it for the team, you don't do it for yourself. And I think I have always played my cricket that way. I'm short of words actually,” said Rodrigues.
Rodrigues also shared that during a team meeting on the eve of the match, she had voiced a clear personal goal for the game, outlining her intention to step up and make a meaningful contribution when it mattered most.
"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 get those 20-30 runs extra because I run well, pick gaps, unusual gaps. And the second thing was if we are chasing, then I want to make sure I won't take the team through. And this just feels like a dream actually. It just felt like everything was such a set up. Because the last month wasn't the easiest, but it just felt like a set up for this moment,” Rodrigues concluded.
