It’s been a whirlwind for Lucy Hamilton. The teenager made her international debut for Australia just last Sunday in the third ODI against India after having her cap presented by retiring captain Alyssa Healy, a hero of hers.
By mid-week, as the day-night Test approached to complete the multi-format series, left-arm quick Hamilton found out that she would be making her Test debut on the hallowed WACA ground in a particularly grand occasion with Healy bowing out of international cricket.
Hamilton, 19, this time received her baggy green from Beth Mooney, another legendary player she has looked up to for many years. It would be entirely understandable if she felt overwhelmed by the surrealness of it all, but Hamilton produced a mature performance beyond her years after Healy sent India into bat on a grassy surface.
Hamilton shared the new ball with Darcie Brown and received a thunderous ovation from the fans in the terraces when she came on to bowl. There were no nerves obvious as she found her rhythm immediately amid the fierce heat, and in her first over had a big shout against Shafali Verma, but a review proved unsuccessful.
Hamilton did not lose patience or confidence and her first Test wicket was about as good as it gets. In her third over, Hamilton knocked over Smriti Mandhana, India’s talismanic opener, with a full-pitched delivery that angled in but shaped away to beat the bat and smash into middle stump. It was the type of delivery that left-armers visualise when they front up to left-handed batters.
It was also her maiden international wicket after finishing with 0 for 46 off nine overs in the third ODI on a flat pitch at the Bellerive Oval.
“Smriti is a really high-quality player. It was nice to get my first wicket,” Hamilton told reporters. “I didn’t get a wicket in the ODI, so it was nice to get that and the monkey off the back. Then kind of kept rolling on from there.”
Hamilton’s impressive first spell yielded figures of 1 for 12 off five overs before she backed up in the second session with the key wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues, who top-scored with 52, and Sneh Rana. Both batters rather gifted their wickets, but Hamilton was rewarded for sustained pressure and hostility as she finished her Test initiation with 3 for 31 off 11 overs to ensure India were restricted to 198 in their first innings.
“It was really special,” she said. “To get the first wicket of the game… but to do my job and come on for a second spell and impact the game was really nice. It’s what a fast bowler wants to do.
“The team’s so supportive. Even going out to the ground…I think that’s why I’m a lot less nervous just knowing that they all back me and support me on-and-off the field.”
While Hamilton makes her way into prominence, Rodrigues was not caught by surprise, having captained her at Delhi Capitals in the recent WPL, where she also showed off her blossoming batting skills after smashing 36 off 19 balls from No. 9 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
“She gives me similar vibes of [Annabel] Sutherland, just a younger version,” Rodrigues said. “She played her first [WPL] game in front of such a big crowd, which she’s never played before, and was not fazed by anything. She just was very clear on what she had to do and executed, even contributed with the bat.”
Hamilton wasn’t the only debutant to shine on the opening day of the one-off Test with Sayali Satghare claiming two wickets before the close, the first being a remarkable inswinger to knock over Georgia Voll, while Kranti Gaud dismissed Phoebe Litchfield. Kashvee Gautam did not take a wicket from her seven overs, but an unbeaten 34 from No. 9 illustrated her all-round talent.
“Very impressed to be honest,” Rodrigues said about the debutants. “I know the conditions can help, but you still have got to hit the right line and lengths. They have a lot of fire and determination. They just want to win and take it on. I love seeing the attitude that they have.”
