Added pressure when playing against Pakistan: Jemimah

There 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 top-order bat 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.

On Sunday in Cape Town, in the latter part of her match-winning innings of an unbeaten 38-ball-53, it felt like Jemimah was determined to get the monkey off her back. Off the last ball of the 19th over, her cover drives off Fatima Sana raced to the boundary to signal India's landmark run chase. Jemimah let out a war cry, leapt in the air punching her fist as she steered India to a commanding seven-wicket victory.

During the extended dark phase in her career, hard work and a strong support system were Jemimah's constant companions.

The talented batter with an infectious smile reflected on the period when she wanted to give up. "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 on. 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 it out at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai with U-19 and even U-14 boys to test herself in varied conditions. The efforts are paying off especially in pressure games like the one against Pakistan.

Jemimah, who had her family cheering for her from the stands, admitted to the pressure that comes in playing against Pakistan.

"I think India versus Pakistan, there's always a little more added pressure. We spoke about it in the team meeting. Growing up, we've always watched these matches. I remember even watching the MCG match where Virat Kohli played such an extraordinary knock. So rather than focusing on it, we spoke about it. We just wanted to go out there and play and get the first win on board. It didn't matter even if today was West Indies or another team, we'd still play the same cricket. We would still have the same intensity," she said.

Up next for India is West Indies on Wednesday and Jemimah pointed towards fielding as an area the team needs to work on.

"There are a lot of areas (to improve on). I think one would be our fielding. We've been working hard but it's all a learning process. And we are looking to improve. And I know this team is going to be one of the best fielding sides in the future," she added.