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Star India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has admitted that the past few months were tough for her, with her form fledgling, but a great environment around her pushed her to pull off a massive heist, playing a record-breaking knock to take her team into the finals. Rodrigues played the knock of her life, slamming a hundred for the ages as India pulled off a record chase to storm into the Women’s World Cup final with a five-wicket victory over Australia. Chasing a record target of 339, Rodrigues anchored the innings with an unbeaten 127 off 134 deliveries, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur made a crucial 89 off 88 balls. “It was really hard this last month, it feels like a dream and it still has not sunk in. Last year, I was dropped from this World Cup. I was in good form. But things kept happening back-to-back and I could not control anything. I have almost cried every day through this tour,” Rodrigues said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “Not doing well mentally, going through anxiety. I knew I had to show up and God took care of everything. Initially, I was just playing and I kept talking to myself. Towards the end, I was just quoting a scripture from the Bible, to just stand still and that God will fight for me. I just stood there and he fought for me. A lot inside me was left, but I was trying to stay calm,” Rodrigues added. The star batter’s hard-fought hundred, her third overall and first in a World Cup, came through a solid 167-run partnership with Harmanpreet for the third wicket, ending defending champions Australia’s 15-match unbeaten streak in the tournament across two editions. Chasing a daunting 339, Rodrigues led India’s spirited reply with a magnificent 127* off 134 deliveries, laced with 14 boundaries. India reached 341/5 in 48.3 overs, sealing a five-wicket victory over Australia.
