Jemimah Rodrigues: Added pressure when playing Pakistan

Jemimah says hard work, support system helped her out of uncertain phaseThere was a phase during Jemimah Rodrigues' innings against Pakistan where she struggled with her timing but kept the scoreboard ticking with her athletic running between the wickets. The fight to find the ropes was a reflection of what the 22-year-old has endured for over a year now. Back then, runs were down to a trickle, sometimes it even dried up. The Mumbaikar's confidence wavered and she lost out on a place in the squad for the 50-overs World Cup.

Read AlsoWomen's T20 World Cup: Jemimah and Richa star in win over Pakistan

A high-scoring match, maximum pressure and a form that has been wavering for a while. But none of it affected Jemimah Rodrigues.

On Sunday in Cape Town, during her match-winning innings (53* off 38), it felt like Jemimah was determined to get the monkey off her back. When her winning cover drive off Fatima Sana raced to the boundary to signal India's landmark run chase, Jemimah let out a war cry, leapt in the air and punched her fist. She had steered India to a commanding seven-wicket victory and it felt especially sweet.During the extended dark phase in her career, hard work and a strong support system were Jemimah's constant companions."Many times I had nothing to tell myself. There were so many times I had given up and I didn't have the strength to carry. A lot of people say you need to back and motivate yourself but only you know what you are going through. But I was blessed that I had people who believed in me and helped me push through that time. I am a strong believer in Jesus. I knew if he's brought me so far, he won't let me down here," said Jemimah during the post-match session.Out of the India team, Jemimah roughed