Stories of resilience poured in through the night of November 2, as India celebrated its first-ever women’s cricket World Cup victory. For skipper Harmanpreet Kaur it was the reward for enduring weeks of insults after losing three of the league games. For young Shafali Verma, dropped before the World Cup, it was a comeback to prove herself. For all-rounder Deepti Sharma, getting recognised as ‘Player of the Tournament’ became a befitting reply to all the criticism she faced during World Cup 2017.
But for Jemimah Rodrigues, despite and perhaps because of her outstanding performance in the semis, the same brickbats of unadulterated hate thrown at her for her faith, kept coming even amid the glory of India’s victory. Jemimah had, after her stunning 127 not-out in the semi final against Australia, thanked Jesus Christ and her parents and coach, before saying that she did not do this for herself, but for India. But the words that came after Jesus Christ seemed muted for the many right-wing supporters who pounced on her afresh, after she got out for 24 runs in the final.
“Jesus didn’t help today?” asked one of the trolls, while another distorted her image like a bad caricature.
Jemimah’s speech after the winning knock that ensured India’s place in the finals appeared to bring back past wounds. She had not been doing well mentally, she had cried everyday for weeks, she said.
A year ago, Jemimah was subjected to vitriolic attacks online. Her father, Ivan Rodrigues, who had been her first coach in sports, faced unfounded allegations of religious conversion at the Mumbai Gymkhana club. Jemimah’s club membership was cancelled. She was made a joke of for her Instagram videos of singing and being merry. Many labelled her as a player to not be taken seriously. Not a lot different from the tone of the attack on Haramanpreet and the team only days ago, directing them ‘to go back to the kitchen where they belong’.
On the ground though, Jemimah continued to be her cheerful self. It would be hard to spot her without her trademark open smile. Only when she took India to victory in that semifinal did she break down, falling to the pitch as her teammates dashed out of the dressing room, swarmed around her and lifted her up. It was a sight to behold as she rested her head on the others and let out the stress she’d been in.
Among the congratulatory posts were those that called her performance a verbal slap on the face of the many right-wing media which had dragged her family into a needless row. When she thanked Jesus and sowed those words into her love for India, few could question her intent or doubt her commitment to the game. They waited for the final, and picked out the non-Christian names among the players, and made a big deal about how none of them had brought god or religion into their victory speeches. A sentiment that was missing at the time that shooter Manu Bhaker thanked Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita for her Olympics bronze medals. Curiously, Harmanpreet was also spared despite uttering the Sikh term (Waheguru) for thanking god.
But their retorts can always come in their turf. On Sunday night, after raising her arms to grab what seemed like an impossible catch off the last standing South African batter, Harmanpreet had kept her hands in the air, and did not stop running. For her, for Jemimah and the rest of the team, past and present, every little milestone along the way had counted a lot. But the big win was a necessity. The World Cup, more than everything else they have done in the past, should bring all the respect that women’s cricket deserved and seldom received. It should pave the way for generations of girls to embark on this beautiful journey, without having to fight for it.