At the DY Patil Stadium, standing amid 35,000 roaring fans, the moment arrived: a set batter, silent for an instant, then an eruption of celebration. That batter was Jemimah Rodrigues. And that moment defined her redemption.
India needed 131 from 102 balls when Rodrigues, on 82, attempted a slog‐sweep off Alana King. The top‐edge soared toward mid-wicket; King and Alyssa Healy converged, and the crowd fell silent. The familiar dread of a missed opportunity hovered. Then Healy dropped the catch. The stadium roared.
A few overs later, King struck Rodrigues in front; Australia reviewed; two reds, one green, ball passing over the stumps. Another burst of noise.
From there on, Rodrigues appeared focused. “Stand here, because amazing things can happen,” she later said. The conditions were brutal, humidity over 75 per cent. Hours into her innings, she felt drained. Yet it wasn’t just about one day—it was about the weeks, months, years that led here.
Rodrigues’ path hasn’t been smooth. A lean patch of form led to her being dropped for the 2022 World Cup. She clawed her way back; by 25 she was one of India’s senior batters. But at this World Cup it flickered again: two ducks, two 30s, then omission for the England game. Off-field, anxiety crept in; she spoke of feeling numb, of crying a lot.
Yet sport offers another chance. Rodrigues returned, promoted to No. 3, and responded with 76 off 55 against New Zealand. Then came Thursday. Another promotion to No. 3, against the unbeaten champions, in a world-record chase. When opener Smriti Mandhana fell early, it looked like history repeating. But Rodrigues believed India could chase 300-plus. And she batted like it.
For the first 11 balls she played herself in, then a four eased tension. Questions loomed: would India collapse again? Could they do it without Mandhana?
Rodrigues answered with a cheeky scoop off Kim Garth, a loft over short third off Ash Gardner, a late cut and flick through mid-wicket. When 150 were needed off 20 overs, captain Harmanpreet Kaur shifted gears. Once Kaur fell for 89, the silence returned—until Rodrigues took up the mantle.
Her century arrived off 117 balls. No wild celebration—just a quiet fist bump and a hug from Richa Ghosh. The equation kept creeping downward. With single digits remaining, Amanjot Kaur finished it with two boundaries. Rodrigues dropped to her knees, tears streaming.
Rodrigues said: “When I reached my fifty, when I reached my hundred, I didn’t celebrate… tomorrow morning, what would make me happier? India winning.”
This was more than an innings. It was redemption. From self-doubt to anchor. From silence to roar. She now belongs among sport’s great comeback stories. At DY Patil, she made sure the roars lasted.
Best Football Academies in the USA: Where Future Stars Are Made
October 12, 2025
