Jemimah Rodrigues: My 76* vs NZ meant more than my century vs AUS

Jemimah Rodrigues reveals her 76* against New Zealand in the World Cup was more special than her century vs Australia. Dropped before the game, she describes overcoming anxiety and pressure to play a crucial knock for the team.

Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues spoke about the most anxious she felt while batting in her life during a must-win ICC Women's World Cup campaign against New Zealand last year, adding that her half-century against White Ferns meant more to her than her century in a record-breaking chase against Australia in the semifinal. Rodrigues, who is gunning for some incredible performances to help the T20I team lift her second major white-ball title in the UK, was speaking on JioStar's 'Unstoppable'.

During the World Cup, she was dropped from an important clash against England after managing just 65 runs in the past four innings, including two ducks. She returned to the side against New Zealand, scoring 76* in a must-win clash after a hat-trick of losses to South Africa, Australia and England.

'Broke Down and Started Crying'

Speaking on JioStar's 'Unstoppable', Jemimah said on coming back for the New Zealand match, "I was not sure if I would even make the playing XI for the New Zealand match. My bat had let me down in the previous games. I was not contributing to the team's cause. The frustration was building up inside. So, I took my kit bag, walked into the nets, and started hitting every ball as hard as I could. No technique, no thinking. Just anger. By noon, I broke down and started crying."

"I went to my room. Arundhati Reddy was there. She called me in. I cried and told her I was feeling low, heartbroken, and disappointed with myself. My form was gone, and I did not know how to get it back. Arundhati suggested I visit the church. Something inside me agreed. So, I went. The next morning, I woke up, and in all these 45 days, this was the first time ever I was happy - truly happy and not faking it," she added.

A Career-Defining Knock

Jemimah said that during the match against New Zealand, she had " never been more nervous in my life" and felt "numb" during the first 10 balls. "I did not know how I would get through. But I told myself, 'Jemi, just get past these 10 balls, and you will be fine.' So, my plan was simple, play compact, do not do anything fancy, and just survive the early jitters. Pratika was already set at the other end. So, I let her continue her innings. I played proper cricketing shots when the ball was in my zone. My only thought was, 'Do it for the team.' After that New Zealand game, everything fell into place. I scored 76 not out off about 55 balls. That knock was special. I know everyone talks about my hundred in the semi-final against Australia. But that New Zealand match was like a quarter-final for us. And for me, that 76 not out meant a lot more than the 127 in the semi-final," she added.

Captain's Backing

Her skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, also spoke on the team's decision to rest Jemimah against England, saying that had they not taken that decision, "things might have gone wrong". "She did not have a great start to the ODI World Cup with the bat. The runs were not coming. Her confidence was dropping. You could see it in her body language. So, we decided to give her a three or four-day break. We kept her out of the England game. But it was not about dropping her or giving someone else a chance. It was purely about Jemimah, giving her the right rest at the right time. Sometimes a break is more valuable than training. She was always in our plans. When we faced New Zealand, Jemimah was always going to be our key player. We trusted her to come back fresh, and she repaid the trust we had shown in her with a crucial knock of 76 runs," she said.

Upcoming T20 World Cup

Team India will start off their ICC T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan from June 14 onwards at Birmingham. India is placed in Group A alongside Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands. (ANI)

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