India's Jemimah Rodrigues said she has struggled with anxiety at the Women's World Cup but her determination to contribute helped her overcome being dropped earlier in the tournament to score a match-winning century in their semi-final against Australia.
Fuelled by Rodrigues' unbeaten 127, India pulled off a record chase of 339 runs at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday to seal a five-wicket win over the defending champions and book their place in Sunday's final against South Africa.
The 25-year-old all-rounder missed the 2022 edition due to a dip in form before fighting her way back into the side.
Facing the pressure of playing in a World Cup on home soil, Rodrigues struggled for consistence, posting two ducks and a pair of 30s before being dropped for India's group-stage match against England.
She said she often broke down in calls to her parents as she tried to cope with the pressure.
"I am so blessed to have friends, I can call family, I didn't have to go through it alone. And it's okay to ask for help," Rodrigues said.
"I will be very vulnerable here because I know if someone is watching, this might be going through the same thing. Nobody likes to talk about their weakness," she added, holding back tears.
"I was going through a lot of anxiety and when you are going through anxiety, you just feel numb. You don't know what to do. You are trying to be yourself. And in this time, my mum and dad supported me a lot.
"When you are dropped, you have a lot of doubts because I always want to contribute to the team. That really hit me ... But sometimes all you need to do is, just hang in there and, things fall into place."
A composed 76 not out against New Zealand helped restore her confidence and set the stage for her semi-final heroics against seven-times champions Australia.
Rodrigues said she had only one thought in mind when she went out to bat.
"All I would say was I didn't play for my 100. I didn't play to prove a point at number three," she said. "I just played to make sure India win. I wanted to see India win at the end and that was my only motivation."
Both India and South Africa will be vying for their first Women's World Cup title in Sunday's final, as no team outside Australia, England or New Zealand have ever won the tournament since the inaugural edition in 1973.
