“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.

“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.

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.