Rodrigues' father Ivan reveals 'Dhoni sir' advice ahead of World Cup final: 'I only told Jemimah one thing'

Jemimah Rodrigues pulled off one of the greatest chases in cricket history last week when her unbeaten knock of 127 steered India to a five-wicket victory over Australia in the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup.

Rodrigues had been having a mixed run in the World Cup until then; while she had struck an unbeaten 76 in a must-win game against New Zealand, she had been dismissed in the 30s a couple of times and had also registered a couple of ducks. She had even been benched in the game against England in Indore.

The uncertainty over her place in the playing XI had worsened mental struggles for the 25-year-old, who had been overlooked for the 2022 edition in New Zealand and had recently opened up on her struggles with anxiety.

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Rodrigues, however, silenced her critics with a once-in-a-lifetime knock – helping India recover from a shaky start with a 167-run third-wicket stand with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and ensuring she stayed at the crease till the very end.

Jemimah’s ice-cool knock, along with important contributions from Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh and Amanjot Kaur, helped India smash the record for the highest successful chase in women’s ODIs.

Rodrigues Sr emphases on “attitude” ahead of final

India would then go on to defeat South Africa – a first-time finalist in the Women’s World Cup – three days later by 52 runs, posting a challenging 298/7 on the board before bowling the Proteas out for 246.

Speaking to India Today after India’s victory over South Africa in the Women’s World Cup final at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, Ivan revealed how he helped Jemimah get into the right mindset ahead of the showdown against the Proteas.

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“I only told Jemimah one thing – attitude. Your attitude is important. Why is Dhoni sir a legend? Attitude. His calmness, his willpower, and his application on the ground to take the right decision and take the game deep. India went to the next level when Dhoni sir came,” Ivan said.

“I gave an example of the India-Pakistan match (2007 World T20 Final). Who did he give the last over to? Joginder Sharma. We thought Harbhajan had overs left. The attitude and approach that he has, if you have that, you can win any tournament,” he added.