After India’s Jemimah Rodrigues joked that she was not sure if she would be allowed to cross the Australian border to play the Women’s Big Bash League after her match-winning performance against the Aussies in the Women’s World Cup semifinals which knocked the defending champions out of the tournament, Beth Mooney replied with a light-hearted comment of her own.
“We heard Jemi say earlier that she was worried they weren’t going to let her in the country because they beat us, but I actually thought they weren’t going to let us back in for losing. Thankfully immigration let me in,” Mooney said on the player mic while playing for the Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Sixers.
Earlier, Rodrigues, who plays for the Brisbane Heat, had said on the sidelines of the BBL, “I was not sure if Australia would allow me to cross the border after the semifinals. But honestly, everyone has been so warm and welcoming, and everyone is so happy in general for the growth of women’s cricket. We know that it’s going to change the game massively, not just in India but all over the world.”
Beth Mooney’s response when hearing what Jemimah Rodrigues said about the World Cup semi final:
🗣️ “We heard Jemi say earlier that she was worried they weren’t going to let her in the country because they beat us, but I actually thought they weren’t going to let us back in for… https://t.co/MjFYoJVwiQ pic.twitter.com/KXIthLy3BC
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) November 9, 2025
Last week, Jemimah played an innings of a lifetime when she scored an unbeaten 127 runs to help India overhaul Australia’s 338-run target in Navi Mumbai. India had suffered an early blow in the chase with Shafali Verma falling in the second over, and burning a review as well. There was then a 46-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Rodrigues before the former was strangled down the leg side by Kim Garth in the 10th over.
However, then came an epic 167-run stand for the third wicket which came in just 156 balls between captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Rodrigues. Australia chipped their way back into the match after Harmanpreet, who had been suffering from cramps towards the end of her knock, fell on 89 off 88 balls.
Deepti Sharma then seemed set to accelarate India’s march to victory but ended up being run out against the run of play on 24 off 17 balls. Richa Ghosh then came in and played a typically aggressive knock. She was dismissed by Annabel Sutherland on 26 off 16.
It marks a remarkable turnaround for Rodrigues herself. The 25-year-old had generally been suffering from indifferent form going into this World Cup copped two ducks in the first three innings that she played in the tournament. Jemimah was even dropped from the Indian squad for their fifth match of the tournament against England.
Rodrigues then took matters into her own hands, start off the 47th over with a four and then hitting two more in the next. Amanjot Kaur then sealed the deal, smashing the first ball of the 49th over through the off side for a four and then carved the third ball through backward point for another and thus came India’s winning runs.
