… TODAY JOY CAME, BUT I AM STILL WEEPING’

THE eyes welled up, and tears rolled down her cheeks. Unable to control, Jemimrah Rodrigues broke down. She was inconsolable. She spoke about her mental health and the trepidation that kept her on the edge for the last month, throughout the ICC Women’s World Cup. She confessed to having cried and cried during those endless nights when everything seemed a shade darker than usual.

- GOMESH S

Jemimah stood alone in the tempest that raged within, endured the pain of getting dropped and made a comeback scoring a half-century against New Zealand and a match-winning century against the indomitable Australia on Thursday. The runs that flew from her blade acted as a balm on the sores that were still raw. The moment was cathartic.

Amid the sobbing and narrating about the turmoil of the past, the unbridled joy of scoring a hundred in the semifinal prompted Jemimah to enact one of her favourite poses—strumming of guitar with the willow in hand. It is not easy to ply trade ina star-obsessed country where jeers and boos follow every failure. Even more so for someone who is always full of joy and empathy, loves guitar and songs, Jemimah was trolled whenever she failed, and her passion turned into fodder for haters. Thursday will hopefully erase those memories.

Just after she scored the hundred on Thursday, a photograph of Jemimah, along with Nasser Hussain from 2018, resurfaced on social media. “Remember the name .. Jemimah Rodrigues.. did some throw downs with her today .. she’s going to be a star for India,” Hussain wrote. More than a prophecy, the words seemed like a premonition.