When Jemimah Rodrigues was trying to force herself into the India women's side as a teenager, she cut out a photograph of her face and stuck it over an image of the national team's jersey.

She told the No Balls podcast back in 2021 that she would look at it every single day for motivation, refusing to lose sight of the dream that started for a four-year-old girl playing street cricket with her brothers.

On Thursday, under the bright lights of Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium, she played one of the all-time classic one-day international innings, in one of the greatest games, to lead India to a World Cup final at the expense of defending champions Australia.

It is remarkable to think that just 11 days ago Rodrigues was dropped for India's group stage game against England, which they lost by four runs.

But under the highest pressure and against the world's best, she finished unbeaten on 127 in a successful chase of 339 - a women's ODI record - with each run greeted by a roar from a packed crowd that was witnessing history unfold.

Rodrigues sunk to the ground in exhaustion once Amanjot Kaur hit the winning boundary, unable to contain the tears as the magnificence of her achievement hit home.

She subsequently revealed in the news conference that she had "cried almost every day of the World Cup with anxiety".

Known for her bubbly personality and infectious smile no matter what she does on the field, this was a different side to Rodrigues - one of grit and determination in an innings of pure class.

She was already a star - but now has a chance to go stratospheric.