The inaugural National Women's Cricket squad's tour of India will be especially memorable for NSW player Sara Darney, who was the team's top scorer across the six match series.
The University of Wollongong student, who hails from Wellington, was also the first and only Australian player to score a half century in a match, a feat which she achieved in the first T20 match of a double header against the Mumbai Women's team at the Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana.
NITV's Natalie Ahmat is travelling with the team, and caught up with Sara after the match for a few quick questions.
What does it mean to you to be part of this tour, representing not only your country, but your mob?
It's an amazing opportunity, I don't really know how to explain it. You just feel so proud to not only represent Australia, but the mob back home and all your family.
It's been inspiring - I was actually going to give up cricket for a while there, but then I got into these teams and I think it's given me that drive I needed to try and pursue my dream and try to get that baggy green and see how far I can go.
Sara Darney. Source: Natalie Ahmat
What's been the biggest challenge of the tour?
They bowl a lot slower here and the pitches are a bit slower and lower, so you just have to wait on the ball a lot longer and watch it really hard. And its so hot as well.
Which cricket player do you look up to?
I don't really have a favourite. Just family, especially my dad, he was one of my main inspirations, and my uncles and cousins, they play a bit of cricket.
What do you do when your not playing cricket?
I'm a student at the University of Wollongong, doing a Bachelor of Health Science in Indigenous Health Studies. I want to do health promotion as well, I really want to focus on promoting healthy living in Indigenous communities as well as non Indigenous communities.
What's the craziest thing you've seen while here in India?
The traffic. Like they don't care, they don't stay in the lanes. And all the honking! At home, that's like saying, 'up you', but here it's like courtesy, which is really, really weird.
What's your favourite Indian food?
The only Indian I like back home is butter chicken because it's not spicy. My body's not really used to the spices, but it's fun to try something different.
But my favourite is naan bread - yum!
