New Delhi, Mar 10 (UNI) India’s young batter Pratika Rawal reflected on her memorable Test debut after scoring a resilient 63 in the second innings against Australia in the one-off Test at the WACA Stadium in Perth on Sunday, saying she deliberately avoided thinking about the pressure of playing her first match in the longest format.
“That’s the beauty of this game, and I think I was not thinking that this was my first Test. Or, you know, I’m debuting for my country, you know, this jersey is something which is very special to me. I carry a lot of responsibility on my shoulders,” Pratika said in a video released by the BCCI Women.
“So I think I was just, like, inside enjoying my game. This is the format which I really love, which I want to score a lot of runs in. And I just practically did what I can do best,” she added.
Rawal also highlighted the demanding nature of Test cricket, noting that the format challenges a player’s patience, temperament and mental strength, particularly when facing some of the best bowlers in the game.
“I mean, see, I’ve always told that this is definitely a format which tests your character, which tests your patience, which tests your mindset. And I think it perfectly sums it up, you know, when you are out there, when you’re, you know, playing amongst the best bowlers, when you’re playing amongst, you know, the best bowling attack, then you have to do something,” Rawal said.
Despite Rawal’s maiden half-century in the second innings, India were able to set Australia a target of only 25 runs. The Alyssa Healy-led side chased it down comfortably in just 4.3 overs to secure a 10-wicket victory and seal the multi-format series 12-4.
