Despite India’s strong start to the Women’s World Cup campaign, batter Jemimah Rodrigues believes her team still has plenty of room to improve. Speaking ahead of India’s next fixture, Rodrigues struck a balanced tone — confident but grounded — insisting that the squad has not yet played what she would consider a “perfect game.”
India remain unbeaten in the group stage, having defeated both Pakistan and Sri Lanka with convincing performances, but Rodrigues said the team is conscious that consistency across all departments is still missing. “If you look at our games so far, we’ve had individual brilliance — someone always steps up — but as a team, we haven’t fully clicked together yet,” she said. “That’s both a challenge and an opportunity for us.”
Her comments reflect India’s evolving team dynamic. The top order has shown flashes of dominance, with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma providing brisk starts in patches, while the middle order — led by Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh — has done the heavy lifting in crunch moments. Rodrigues herself has been instrumental in stabilizing innings and rotating strike, particularly when India has lost early wickets.
India’s bowlers have also been reliable without yet hitting their peak. The pace attack, spearheaded by Renuka Thakur, has been disciplined with the new ball, while spinners like Deepti and Rajeshwari Gayakwad have applied pressure in the middle overs. Still, Rodrigues emphasized that the team needs to convert control into dominance. “We’ve been clinical in parts, but the best teams finish games off without leaving any window open. That’s the standard we’re chasing,” she explained.
Rodrigues also acknowledged that India’s success so far has come despite challenging conditions — slow, turning pitches that make fluent stroke play difficult. “We’ve adapted well, but we know we can do more. There are moments when we lose momentum or play a few quiet overs, and those small lapses can cost you in the knockout stage,” she said.
Her mindset, however, reflects a growing maturity in the squad. India are not content with winning; they want to dominate. The team’s think tank, led by coach Amol Muzumdar and captain Harmanpreet Kaur, has been working on sharper fielding drills, strike rotation strategies, and middle-order acceleration — key factors that could make the difference in tighter contests later in the tournament.
Rodrigues’ perspective also underlines the squad’s belief in its depth. With bench players like Amanjot Kaur and Pooja Vastrakar ready to step up, India’s campaign has been built on collective performance rather than overreliance on stars. “That’s what makes this group exciting — we’re winning games, but we all know we haven’t peaked yet. When everything clicks, we can be unstoppable,” she added.
As India prepares for its next challenge, Rodrigues’ words carry both caution and promise. The message is clear — the team may be winning, but it’s far from satisfied. The “perfect game” remains ahead, and if India manages to find it, the rest of the tournament could see them at their most dangerous.
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