In a dazzling display of cricketing prowess, Jemimah Rodrigues, the 24-year-old Indian batting sensation from Mumbai, notched her first international century in the second One Day International (ODI) against Ireland at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
Jemimah Rodrigues’ bat-as-guitar celebration
Rodrigues reached her maiden international century in style, cutting Arlene Kelly’s delivery past the off-side field for a boundary. It was a special moment as she removed her helmet and celebrated with a signature bat-as-guitar gesture. Her teammates stood up in unison, applauding her remarkable achievement.
Rodrigues’ knock powers India to record ODI total
Rodrigues, playing with both finesse and power, scored an unbeaten 102 off 91 balls, steering India to a formidable total of 370/5. Her innings was a blend of classical shots and innovative stroke play, featuring 12 boundaries. This performance not only set a new personal milestone for Rodrigues but also helped India post their highest ever ODI score, adding another chapter to the ongoing three-match series against Ireland.
Game-changing partnership with Harleen Deol
She anchored the innings with a mix of calculated aggression and strategic play, forming crucial partnerships that propelled India’s score. One of the standout partnerships was with Harleen Deol, who herself scored an impressive 89 off 95 balls, together they added 183 runs for the fourth wicket.
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Jemimah reflects on long-awaited century and team’s focus on execution
Jemimah expressed her delight after scoring her long-awaited century, emphasizing the importance of fulfilling her role at number four and staying at the crease until the 50th over. She highlighted her focus on batting through the innings, knowing she could accelerate when needed, and credited Harleen’s support and their crucial partnership for her success. Jemimah also underlined the team’s professionalism, stressing the need to execute their bowling plans effectively, as they had discussed the challenges of defending high totals based on recent domestic matches.
“This means a lot. It’s been a long wait to get this hundred. More than anything else, I’m just glad that the team gave me a role at number four and I was able to live up to that. Today the most important thing for me was to be there till the 50th over. I know at any moment I can accelerate, I have that game. But it was important for me to stay there. While I was doing that, Harleen kept telling me “just keep playing, keep playing”. She also took the lead in between – that really helped me,” said Rodrigues in the mid-innings.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
Ye lamha kha tha meraaa…
First International century for Stargirl Jemimah Rodrigues ❤️ pic.twitter.com/oCEuSJPdgX
— Bleed Blue (@CricCrazyVeena) January 12, 2025
A maiden ODI ton from Jemimah Rodrigues guides India to a commanding total in Rajkot 🙌#INDvIRE 📝: https://t.co/OLz9Ajzamp pic.twitter.com/1L8MADygE7
— ICC (@ICC) January 12, 2025
The Celebrations of Jemimah Rodriguez after scoring her Maiden International Hundred. ⭐
– SPECIAL MOMENTS FOR JEMIMAH..!!!! 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/ApCDeYqK6v
— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) January 12, 2025
https://twitter.com/nikun28/status/1878378571183579399
The Jemimah Rodrigues-Harleen Deol partnership is now 1⃣5⃣0⃣-runs strong!
3⃣0⃣0⃣ comes up for #TeamIndia 👊
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/zjr6BQy41a#TeamIndia | #INDvIRE | @IDFCFirstBank pic.twitter.com/V9NF8nsJjf
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) January 12, 2025
Jemimah Rodrigues celebrates her maiden ODI 💯 with a Guitar 🎸 celebration 🎉#INDvIRE pic.twitter.com/CFU51rDMhA
— Akash Verma (@akashvibes) January 12, 2025
https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/1878381321510109285
Ye lamha kha tha meraaa…
First International century for Stargirl Jemimah Rodrigues ❤️ pic.twitter.com/oCEuSJPdgX
— Bleed Blue (@CricCrazyVeena) January 12, 2025
https://twitter.com/itskishankishor/status/1878381203734069364
Jemimah Rodrigues hits her first ODI century and celebrates with a rocking guitar celebration! 🎸🔥#INDvIREpic.twitter.com/1NUXyu6ElF
— Sagar Panchal (@Sagii_Panchal) January 12, 2025
Jemimah Rodrigues your Beauty
What a ton 💯👊🏻🔥@JemiRodrigues #INDWvIREW— Aditya Verma 🇮🇳 (@the_aditya77) January 12, 2025
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
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