Diminutive Jemimah And India Take A Giant Leap Forward
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2025-10-31 06:31:12
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Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack
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Women's cricket in India took a giant leap forward on Friday evening at Navi Mumbai. The Women in Blue chased 338 posted by Australia in the World Cup semifinal match to set the world record in a successful chase. They also dismantled Australia's aura of invincibility, snapping their 15-match winning streak in the World Cup. But more importantly, they showed tremendous self-belief and proved that no mountain was too high to climb. They refused to be overawed, refused to accept limits, and showed an entire nation what's possible when talent meets tenacity.
Make no mistake - there never was any doubt about the skill, capability, determination and confidence of this team. The only thing missing was that extra spark that separates a great team from a good team. For example, just a few days ago, they could not defend a huge total of 330 in the group match against the same Australian team and allowed them to set the world record for a successful chase. It is deeply satisfying that this team broke that very record against the same opponents within 10 days.
The way the team played showed that they had come out to bat with immense self-belief. Jemimah Rodrigues (127 not out) was outstanding and Harmanpreet Kaur (89) was excellent. Together, they took the match away from the Australians with a 167-run partnership for the third wicket. The Australians, sensing victory after taking two Indian wickets in the first power play, saw the match slipping from their grasp as Jemimah and Harmanpreet played superbly and took the sting out of the Australian bowling attack. Consequently, the body language of the Australians changed and they started making mistakes on the field. The bowling, too, became pedestrian, aiding the Indians in their quest for a memorable win.
For a player who was having trouble with her form and was dropped from the team midway through the tournament, Jemimah played the innings of her life. Although she was dropped thrice and survived a close LBW appeal, she was technically sound, played genuine cricketing shots and found the gaps with ease. It was a classic chase innings in the Virat Kohli mould. Not only did she keep one end intact, she also made sure that the runs kept coming and the team was never too far behind on the run rate. She was ably supported by Harmanpreet and cameos by Deepti Sharma (24) and Richa Ghosh (26) kept the momentum going. Finally, Amanjyot Kaur (15 not out) helped Jemimah take India to a win that will be remembered and cherished for generations.
