4 min readUpdated: Mar 8, 2026 06:06 PM IST
India head coach Amol Muzumdar chose to focus on the positives despite the 10-wicket defeat in the pink-ball Test against Australia in Perth, praising the debutants for their performances in demanding conditions at the WACA.
The visitors had handed debut Test caps to Pratika Rawal, Kashvee Gautam, Kranti Gaud and Sayali Sathgare in the pink-ball Test. After making 18 in the first innings, Rawal made her maiden half-century in the second innings, scoring 63 off 137 balls.
Sathgare was the most impressive Indian seamer on display, claiming 4/50 in the first innings. While Gautam may not have taken any wickets in the match, her 34 runs with the bat lower down the order ensured that India got to a score closer to 200 in the first innings.
“It was really heartening to see all the debutants,” Muzumdar said after the match. “Someone like Pratika showed great guts and determination with a half-century here at the WACA in the second innings. Kranti bowled her heart out, and Kashvee and Sayali picked up wickets in the first innings.”
India’s four Test debutants made a real impact and showed a lot of “character and heart”, according to coach Amol Muzumdar. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/WIGxF2ce0B
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 8, 2026
“A bit disappointing with the result, but I’m really happy with the fight that we showed for the last three days. The conditions were tough, but credit to Australia – they were brilliant in this Test match,” he added.
Muzumdar also pointed to the first innings as a key moment in the match, suggesting that a stronger total on the board could have changed the course of the contest.
“At the WACA you expect the ball to swing and seam,” he said. “If we had put a good score on the board in the first innings, it could have been a different story”.
Playing a pink-ball Test at the WACA posed its own set of challenges, particularly under lights, where the ball moved significantly. Muzumdar acknowledged the difficulty but emphasised that adapting to conditions is part of international cricket.
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“The pink ball was a different challenge,” he said. “The ball moved quite considerably under lights, but you have to adjust to the conditions. It was the same for both the teams.”
India also entered the Test after a hectic white-ball schedule, having played multiple T20 matches before the tour. The side had recently come through a stretch that included a T20 series against Sri Lanka, the Women’s Premier League, before arriving in Australia for the multi-format tour, which started with the T20Is, then moved to ODIs and ended with the one-off Test match.
“It’s a tough format, there’s no doubt about that,” Muzumdar said. “We came in after playing five T20s against Sri Lanka, then the WPL, and immediately after the final, we flew out to Australia and played the T20 series. After that came the multi-format tour. It’s tough, but at the same time, there are no excuses.”
Despite the loss, the coach reiterated that the players value opportunities to play Test cricket and are eager to feature more often in the longest format.
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“Everyone in the dressing room was looking forward to this pink-ball Test match in Perth,” he said. “The more Test matches we play, the better it is for the game. A four-day or five-day Test match in the international calendar is always a healthy sign for cricket.”
