Jemimah's century held India together and took them over the line: Mithali

Navi Mumbai, Oct 31 Former India captain Mithali Raj credited flawless Jemimah Rodrigues for a stunning century against Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-final at DY Patil Stadium on Thursday, which led the hosts to the summit clash.

It was a sensational batting display from the local girl, who struck 14 boundaries, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur also played a crucial innings of 89, and also stitched a 167-run partnership with the former that laid the foundation of India’s historic chase of 339.

“Well, this is exactly what a fitting semi-final in a World Cup should be, two top teams, India and Australia, going head-to-head. The storytelling continues. Jemimah Rodrigues’ knock was one for the ages, especially in a high-pressure semi-final where India needed individuals to rise to the occasion,” Mithali said on JioStar.

“Australia understood the significance of the game, played out of their skin, and posted 338 on the board. India didn’t lose hope even after losing Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, who have been in excellent form. Jemimah, walking in at number three, along with Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, steadied the innings beautifully.

"At no point did it seem like India was out of the contest. Contributions from Richa Ghosh, Amanjot, and Deepti Sharma further strengthened the innings. But it was Jemimah’s century that truly held India together and took them over the line. When you score a hundred in a knockout, you ensure your team gets through, and that’s exactly what Jemimah did.”

Indian head coach Amol Mazumdar elaborated on the dressing room’s atmosphere after Australia posted a monumental total of 338 in the semifinal. The veteran cricketer shared what he told the players before pulling off a historic chase.

"There was just one line written on the whiteboard in the dressing room before the match, 'we need one more run than them to win the semifinal'. That’s it. No long speeches, no complicated strategies.

"These players are talented enough; we believe in them, and they believe in each other. It was about letting them express themselves and respond on the field. The message was simple, get one run more than Australia," he said.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor