Remember the name Jemimah Rodrigues. You are likely to hear it a lot over the next few years.
If you have been following women’s cricket of late, you already would have heard about her. Even those who don’t follow may have heard about the astonishing catch she took on the boundary line in South Africa after Sachin Tendulkar tweeted about it.
She’s a fine fielder, but it is her batting that makes such compelling watching. Like it did on Sunday in front of a full house at the Reliance Cricket Stadium in the final match of the ODI series against Australia.
This was only the second ODI for Jemimah, having made her debut in the opening match of the series. Megan Schutt, a crafty, accurate medium-pacer who is usually hard to score runs off, opened the Australian bowling and she hit her twice through the leg-side for attractive boundaries.
She went on to play a few more delightful strokes before she was dismissed for 42 off 41 balls. It was difficult to believe this small-sized girl was just 17.
There has probably never been such a prodigy in Indian women’s cricket. It is early days yet, but it has been remarkable the way she has handled the pressure of playing at the highest level.
In the final Twenty 20 match against South Africa at Cape Town, she struck 44 off 34 balls to help India win the series. On her debut, she had made 37 at Potchefstroom.
The first match she played for India after that was the first ODI against Australia, as she replaced the unwell Indian skipper Mithali Raj. But she was out for one.
“I was very disappointed with that,” she told The Hindu . “I had no problem with going at No. 3, though it was my first ODI game, but I like opening the innings."
As for the South Africa series, the Mumbai girl said she had hoped to make it to the India squad, following her exploits in the domestic season. She had slammed 202 off just 163 balls for Maharashtra against Saurashtra in an under-19 one-dayer.
She said she was happy to contribute towards India’s success in South Africa.
“It was a great series for me personally too,” she said. “It felt nice when Tendulkar praised me.
“I have met him too, along with my father Ivan, who coached me at school.”
She is a talented hockey player too, and has played for her State. “But I know that it would be difficult to pursue two sports,” said Jemimah, who admires Rohit Sharma.
“Cricket, of course, is my first choice.”
