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Pratika Rawal's Dream Test Debut: "I Was Not Thinking This Was My First Match"

Indian batter Pratika Rawal reflected on her memorable Test debut, scoring a fighting 63 in the second innings against Australia at the WACA. She revealed she tried not to think about the pressure of debuting, focusing instead on enjoying her game in her favorite format. Rawal emphasized that Test cricket is the ultimate test of a player's character, patience, and mindset, especially against top bowling attacks. Despite her half-century, India lost the one-off Test by 10 wickets as Australia comfortably chased a small target to seal the multi-format series.

Key Points: Pratika Rawal Reflects on Dream Test Debut for India

  • Fighting 63 on Test debut
  • Embraced responsibility, not pressure
  • Test cricket tests character & patience
  • Australia won match & series
2 min read

'I was not thinking this was my first match,' Pratika reflects on her dream Test debut

India's Pratika Rawal reflects on her memorable Test debut, scoring 63 vs Australia at WACA, and shares her mindset on handling pressure.

"I was not thinking that this was my first Test... I carry a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. - Pratika Rawal"

Perth, March 10

India's young batter Pratika Rawal has spoken about her memorable Test debut after scoring a fighting 63 in the second innings against Australia in the one-off Test at the WACA Stadium on Sunday, saying she tried not to think about the pressure of making her debut in the 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 on X.

"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.

Pratika also spoke about the challenges of Test cricket, saying that the longest format of the game pushes players to test their patience, character and mindset, especially when facing top-quality bowling attacks.

"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 Pratika's maiden half-century in the second innings, India could set Australia a target of only 25 runs. The Alyssa Healy-led side chased it down comfortably in just 4.3 overs to win the match by 10 wickets and seal the multi-format series 12-4.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Great knock, but the team lost badly. Individual brilliance is good, but we need to learn how to win matches abroad. The batting collapsed around her. Need more fight from the whole unit.
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Ananya R
Her mindset is everything! "I was just inside enjoying my game" – that's the secret. When you play for the love of it, pressure doesn't get to you. More power to you, Pratika! 👏 Hope to see many more such innings.
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David E
As a cricket fan from outside India, it's impressive to see a young player talk about Test cricket with such reverence. The format is dying in many places, but players like Rawal understand its true value. Well played.
K
Karthik V
She's right about Test cricket testing character. We need to play more women's Tests! How can our players get better at it if they play one match in two years? BCCI should schedule a proper Test calendar.
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Sarah B
A fighting knock in a losing cause. It's a shame the rest of the batting couldn't support her. That target of 25 was never going to be enough. But her debut should be celebrated – she held her own.

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