"Our responsibility is to leave the jersey in a better place" - Jemimah Rodrigues shares pledge ahead of England tour
Team India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has pledged to 'leave the jersey in a better place' as they embark on their England tour.
The Women in Blue will play a one-off Test match against England in Bristol, starting June 16. This will be followed by limited-overs action comprising three WODIs and WT20Is each.
Ahead of the Test match - India's first since 2014, Jemimah Rodrigues has stated that the upcoming series will shape how women's cricket will be perceived in the coming days in India.
"Our greatest responsibility is to honour those who have been before us and those who will come after, to 'leave the JERSEY in a better place'. This series and the series hence forth, we are playing for a far bigger cause than what we realise, we are playing for every single girl who desires to play this sport," Jemimah wrote on Instagram.
The Indian women's team is currently undergoing strict quarantine in Mumbai before leaving for the UK. On June 30 (Sunday) the cricketers held a session where they were handed out Test jerseys for the England game.
Jemimah Rodrigues looking forward to her Test debut against England
Jemimah Rodrigues, who is yet to make her Test debut, also revealed that newly appointed head coach Ramesh Powar shared anecdotes from the past to help cricketers understand what it means to be part of the legacy.
"So today Ramesh sir called us for a team meeting and showed us the history we have of women's cricket in India. From when it first started to where it has reached today. The one's who were before us made it possible for us to be a part of what we are today.
The one's who did it without the recognition they deserved. The one's who brought women's cricket in India. Then the two legends of Indian women's cricket Mithu di and Jhulu di came up and shared with the entire team what cricket has meant to them and what it's like being a part of this Legacy," she added.
Jemimah Rodrigues has represented India in 19 WODIs and 48 WT20Is, scoring 1358 runs, including nine fifties.