In the cauldron of W.A.C.A., Perth, India’s women’s team faces a do-or-die pink-ball Test against Australia on March 6, 2026, the finale of a gripping multi-format series from February 15 to March 9. India, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur are behind with a scoreline of 8-4 in favour of the home side.
The visitors clinched the T20I series, 2-1 (wins by 21 runs via DLS in the first, a 17-run triumph in the third), but suffered an ODI whitewash (losses by 6 wickets, 5 wickets, and 185 runs). This one-off Test carries four points, offering India a shot to level the series. Australia skipper Alyssa Healy, in her 299th and final international appearance before retirement, won the toss and bowled first, dismissing India for 198 in 62.4 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 52 off 84 top-scored; Annabel Sutherland 4/46 starred).
Australia reached 96/3 in 24 overs at stumps on day 1, trailing India by 102 runs. Amid the tension, four debutants, Pratika Rawal, Kashvee Gautam, Sayali Satghare, and Kranti Gaud, stepped up for the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side, blending grit, skill, and promise. Ellyse Perry 43* (62 balls), playing as a pure batter, has had a steady start, alongside Annabel Sutherland 20* (29 balls), seeing off the tricky phase under lights, putting on an unbeaten 38-run stand for the 4th wicket.
Pratika Rawal
The 25-year-old top-order batter Pratika Rawal arrived with an ODI pedigree, boasting 1,189 runs in 27 matches since her December 22, 2024, debut against West Indies at Vadodara, at an average of 47.56, strike rate of 82.34, with 8 half-centuries and 2 centuries across 26 innings. She even chips in with the ball, claiming 6 wickets at 31.33 average and 5.39 economy in 12 innings. On Test debut, Rawal exuded confidence, scoring 18 off 43 balls with 3 boundaries before falling. Her composed stay anchored India’s top order for a while, against a probing Australian attack, signaling her readiness for red-ball battles.
Kashvee Gautam
At 22, all-rounder Kashvee Gautam turned heads in the preceding ODI series, snaring 3 wickets at 6.75 economy in 3 innings while ranking as India’s 4th-highest scorer with 68 runs at 85 strike rate and 22.66 average in 3 matches. In the pink-ball Test, she dazzled from number 9, smashing an unbeaten 34 off 54 balls, including 3 boundaries, in a crucial 38-run stand for the 9th wicket with Sayali Satghare. This propelled India closer to the 200-run mark. and etched her name in history as the 2nd-highest scoring Indian debutant at number 9. Gautam’s poise under pressure embodies the all-round depth India craves. She also returned with match figures of 7-1-29-0 in her spell on the day with the ball.
Sayali Satghare
Consistency earned 25-year-old Sayali Satghare her cap after a stellar domestic run, capped by her wildcard stint with RCB in WPL Season 4, where she grabbed 9 wickets at 19.44 average and 8.75 economy in 6 matches as Ellyse Perry’s replacement. Batting at number 10, she grinded out 7 off 35 balls with 1 boundary, forging that vital 38-run partnership with Gautam. But her real magic came with the ball: Satghare struck first blood by removing Georgia Voll (2 off 8) in the 3rd over, then scalped skipper Alyssa Healy (13 off 27) in the 20th over. Her impressive figures of 8-1-24-2 have rattled Australia early.
Kranti Gaud
The 22-year-old pacer Kranti Gaud, who debuted in ODIs on May 11, 2025, against Sri Lanka in Colombo, has since claimed 25 wickets in 17 matches at 29.76 average and 5.82 economy, including a six-wicket haul, plus 3 T20I scalps in 6 innings. In her Test bow, Gaud impressed with 11-2-28-1, dismissing Phoebe Litchfield (9 off 39). Her probing lines added pressure on Australia’s top order, complementing India’s seam attack in seaming conditions.
These debutants have injected fresh energy into India’s campaign, turning a modest total into a fighting response with the ball. As Healy bows out, can Rawal, Gautam, Satghare, and Gaud spark a famous Perth upset?
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