That was a good knock, Jemi

Jemimah Rodrigues’s father Ivan (left) and mother Lavita look on as their daughter receives her maiden Test cap from vice-captain Smriti Mandhana yesterday

Christmas has come early for Mumbai's India batter Jemimah Rodrigues and her family.

The busy batter's gift came in the form of a fine Test debut innings of 68 on Day One of the one-off Test against England at the DY Patil Stadium here on Thursday.

Jemimah's dad and first coach Ivan, who was present at the ground, reckoned his daughter's half-century was an out-and-out proud moment for the family.

"It is really great and I want to thank God. Getting a Test cap is a dream come true. Jemimah had to go through a lot of ups and downs before she could get this Test cap.

After making the Indian team [in 2018], she has earned a Test debut after five years. We value this a lot. It's a special and proud moment for all of us to see her scoring a fifty on Test debut," Rodrigues Sr told mid-day on Thursday.

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When asked about the knock, he said: "She was very upset [when she got out]; she just wanted to have that [century]. But it's alright. That one ball takes a wicket. Of course, to get a hundred or two hundred [is special], but she really worked hard for those 68 runs."

After losing openers Smriti Mandhana (17) and Shafali Verma (19) early, Jemimah and fellow debutant Shubha Satheesh (69) batted sensibly to share a 115-run stand. Ivan reckoned his daughter's 68 is equivalent to a three-figure innings. "It's like scoring a century because the first two wickets went down early. It was not easy.

Jemimah had to play out that first hour and that was important as the ball was moving and they [England bowlers] bowled stump-to-stump. She applied herself very well. I was happy to see her application and execution of shots. She waited for the loose balls. She likes to sweep, but till she got her fifty, she did not do so. And then, she swept only one ball that was on the leg side," he remarked.