Delighted to have ended her seven-year wait for a maiden international hundred, Jemimah Rodrigues revealed that returning to the mindset and methods of her U19 days helped achieve the milestone.
Rodrigues’ 102 propelled India to a 116-run win over Ireland in the second women’s ODI as the hosts put up their highest-ever ODI total of 370.
“Feels great, it was a long-awaited one, and glad I could do it for the team today,” she said at the post-match press conference.
“I’ve scored hundreds in U19, even a 200, so I just tried to go back to what I used to do then, and it came off well today.”
She had scored an unbeaten 202 for Mumbai against Saurashtra in the U-19 Women’s One-day competition that put her in the limelight back in 2017.
Usually batting at number five, Rodrigues stepped up to number four in the absence of regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, embracing the added responsibility.
“Hari (Harmanpreet) di was not there, so it added responsibility for me, but even when she is there, it’s still my responsibility to ensure Team India reaches a good score. I was happy the team trusted me at number four and asked me to play a particular role, and I was able to deliver.
“I just tried to keep small targets and kept achieving it. And I like the way that I shifted gears today.
“Initially I showed a lot of patience, which was again a big positive for me because it was important for me to spend time there to get those runs. And you know, I was getting the runs. But I was not spending enough time to make it bigger. So I was happy I could do that today.”
Reflecting on her mindset after a cheap dismissal in the series opener, Rodrigues admitted it was important to stay positive.
“Yes, I was very angry at myself (the way I got out in the first ODI), but being positive works for me.”
Her celebration after reaching the three-figure mark was equally special as she pretended to strum her bat like a guitar.
“I’ve been thinking about this celebration for almost seven years. Finally, it happened today, and I know this is the first of many. I hope many more centuries will help India win matches — that’s my goal,” she said.
Rodrigues’ knock was part of a collective batting effort that powered India to their highest total in ODIs.
However, she emphasized that the team remains focused on improvement.
“It feels good, but there are still areas where we can improve. Even when we do well, we look to be critical about how we can get better. Hopefully, next game, 400,” she added.