Shubha Satheesh: 'Not thinking about proving myself, focussed on playing good cricket'

Shubha Satheesh, who made her India women’s team debut in the one-off Test against England on Thursday, said she believes in focusing on playing good cricket and does not have to prove anything, having spent seven years on the domestic circuit. Karnataka’s Shubha, having played across age groups and gradually moving up the ladder, scored a fine half-century at the DY Patil Stadium, guiding India to an imposing 410 for 7 on the opening day . “About proving, I did not really think of that because I just had to play good cricket — that is all I know and I believe in,” Shubha told the media after the first day’s play. “It is journey — it is a process is what I feel. It is an amazing feeling; I am out of (lost for) words because it is happening altogether right now.” Shubha revealed she was told about her Test debut and No. 3 slot only on the morning of the match. The 24-year-old Shubha struck 13 fours in her 69-run knock from 76 balls on Thursday to join the list of those who have made fifties on Test debut for India. “Today morning, I got to know about everything,” Shubha said. “It has been quite a journey for me, I have been in domestic cricket for 6-7 years now. Getting an India call-up was living in a dream sort of thing,” she added.

𝗜. 𝗖. 𝗬. 𝗠. 𝗜!

Debut in international cricket ✅

FIFTY on debut in international cricket ✅

A solid start for Shubha Satheesh 👍👍

... and the entire team applauds her efforts 👏 👏

Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/UB89NFaqaJ#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/aAwg93Uqv6

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 14, 2023

Shubha’s national call-up and subsequent debut comes close on the heels of her getting picked by Royal Challengers Bangalore during the Women’s Premier League mini-auction recently. “I started playing cricket when I was 12. I used to play other sports as well. I was fortunate, I did not have any thought of becoming a cricketer. At the age of 12, I just wanted to play,” Shubha added. The left-handed batter said the message from the team management was simple, to ‘express yourself’, and she enjoyed batting with Jemimah Rodrigues. “The message was simple. I just had to express myself, I just had to have fun and I did that,” she said. “Jemimah and I have played a lot of junior-level cricket. We know each other from quite long, so we keep talking all the time. “It is a beautiful wicket to bat on. Jemimah and I were talking that we just have to bat, (play) proper cricketing shots to keep going,” said Shubha, whose 115-run stand with Jemimah is now the second-highest for India for the third wicket. “It is always a learning process, I will definitely learn from this and move on and get a bigger score next time,” said the No. 3 India batter. England bowler Lauren Bell praised Shubha and Jemimah for their attacking game, which set the tone for the home side’s massive total on the opening day. “It is very impressive — how it is their first match and they can play Test match cricket like that. They both batted really well and we had to work really hard for our wickets,” Bell told the media.