Former India fast bowler Varun Aaron recently offered his perspective on the Indian team management's decision to drop Jemimah Rodrigues in Women's World Cup clash against England. Aaron feels the move came as a blessing in disguise for Jemimah. The star batter was kept out of the playing XI for India’s fifth group stage fixture, a decision made to reinforce the bowling attack by including pacer Renuka Singh Thakur.
Dropping Jemimah Rodrigues worked wonders for her: Varun Aaron
Following India’s defeat to England, however, Rodrigues was promptly reinstated into the starting lineup for the subsequent match against New Zealand, where she came up with an impactful knock, scoring a sensational 76 runs off just 55 balls and remaining unbeaten. Reflecting on the initial decision to drop her, Aaron said that it ultimately worked wonders, suggesting that the temporary omission from the team successfully ignited a renewed fire and determination within the young batter, leading to her excellent return.
Aaron analysed is that Jemimah now carries a strong point to prove every time she steps onto the field. This internal drive, born from the experience of being dropped, has sharpened her concentration and aggression, leading to the exceptional performances she delivered upon her return to the team.
"Great move by Amol Muzumdar because sometimes, as a coach, you need to identify who are these players who just need that little needle, who just need that little poke to ignite that fire, and that's what he did with Jemi," said Aaron on Star Sports.
"After that drop, she is really focused, zoned in. I think all that anxiety would have made place for pure aggression, because sometimes when you are playing a World Cup, when you were dropped from the previous World Cup, you just want to prove a point so badly," he added.
Jemimah Rodrigues lands India in Women's World Cup final with career-defining ton
Jemimah played a career-defining knock in the Women's ODI World Cup semifinal against Australia. She tonked a magnificent yet unbeaten 127 runs off 134 balls, which was instrumental in helping India successfully chase down a formidable target of 339, the highest successful run-chase in the history of women's ODI cricket. This heroic effort came after India was put under early pressure, struggling at 59/2 in just 9.2 overs. Rodrigues then partnered with Captain Harmanpreet Kaur to forge a colossal 167-run partnership off only 156 balls for the second wicket, a stand that completely swung the momentum and put India firmly in the driver's seat. Even after Harmanpreet was dismissed for a blistering 89 off 88 deliveries at the team score of 226, Rodrigues maintained her composure. She ensured the chase stayed on track by stitching together vital partnerships with the lower-middle order, including contributions from Deepti Sharma (24 off 17), Richa Ghosh (26 off 16), and ultimately Amanjot Kaur (who finished unbeaten on 15 off 8) to shepherd the team across the finish line and secure a historic victory.
India will be gunning for their maiden Women's ODI World Cup title, when they face South Africa in the grand finale on November 2.