"We were going well, had it under control": Jemimah Rodrigues after defeat against Australia

Cape Town [South Africa], February 24 (ANI): India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has said that India will continue to close the gap on Australia in spite of heart-breaking semifinal defeat at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup on Thursday.
While enjoying several periods of ascendancy, India were denied a spot in the T20 World Cup final, falling five runs short of Australia's 172/4.
Rodrigues was instrumental in India's chase, scoring 43 off 24 deliveries that included six boundaries. Picking up the pieces with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur when their side appeared to be trapped in at 28/3, their partnership of 69 from 41 balls placed India ahead as favourites at one point.
Harmanpreet was run out at a critical time in India's ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023 semi-final against Australia. The India skipper, who made it after recovering from sickness, was playing superbly to achieve her half-century and put her team in contention to chase Australia's 172/4. But a bizarre moment sent Kaur back to the dugout when her bat jammed in the wicket as she ran it in, leaving her short of her ground as Alyssa Healy whipped off the bails. She was run out for 52.
Speaking in the match's aftermath, Rodrigues admitted those key moments spoiled their efforts.
"We were going well. We had it under control. If you had seen most of the times, we were above them in every phase. Just the last phase we messed up. But yeah it's a tough loss to take. Harmanpreet's (dismissal) was a very unfortunate one. I don't know what to say," ICC quoted Jemimah Rodrigues as saying.
Rodrigues also talked about her dismissal when she gave a catch behind the wicket.
"A little bit here and there and it would have been over the 'keeper's head. The shot was still on. The same ball could have gone for four. I don't think anybody's happy. Everyone's disappointed, but at the same time, this is like a learning experience. And I promise you that every single girl is going to work very hard," she said.
"I think the first one will be the rise of youngsters like Richa. This India team is searching for a finisher and she can be the one, and she is actually the one for us. This team shows a lot of promise. And if you go to see how average age is, it's around 24, so I imagine that we'll be giving this Australian team competition a few years down the line," Rodrigues added. (ANI)