Navi Mumbai, Oct 24 (NationPress) After achieving her first World Cup century against New Zealand at DY Patil Stadium on Thursday, opening batter Pratika Rawal remained humble about her skillfully executed innings and the records she broke during the match.

Pratika and Smriti Mandhana formed a remarkable 212-run opening partnership, the highest ever for India Women in World Cup history, surpassing the previous best of 184 runs set by Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur against West Indies Women in Hamilton in 2022.

With her impressive 122-run performance, Pratika also matched the record for the fastest to reach 1000 runs in ODIs, accomplishing this in just 23 innings alongside Australia's Lindsay Reeler.

The strong foundation laid by Pratika and Mandhana propelled India to a formidable total of 340/3 (49 overs), securing a semi-final berth with a 53-run victory via the DLS method.

Pratika praised the team's supportive atmosphere for her development and success in international cricket in such a short time.

"The dressing room environment is fantastic. The support I receive from my teammates and coaches is truly commendable. It’s because of them that I can express myself freely on the field. I'm delighted with how everything is unfolding for us right now. I only realized after the match that I reached a milestone. I don’t focus on milestones; my goal is to win matches for the team, and that’s what I strive to do," she mentioned during the post-match press conference.

"We have been playing exceptional cricket since the tournament began. We've had different match winners like Deepti di in the first match and Amanjot stepping up. Although we lost three matches, we performed excellently in those games too. I believe this win was due for us, and I'm thrilled we all came together to secure a victory for our nation.

"Concerning my strike rate, I have specific strategies I prefer to follow. I've had numerous discussions with the coaches regarding how I can advance my game and contribute to the team. I always aim to give my best for the team," she added.

On her partnership with Mandhana, Pratika shared that they both focus on their individual games while supporting each other on the field.

“Our conversations are straightforward. She allows me to play my game, and I refrain from interfering in hers. The discussions we have while batting mainly revolve around calculating how many runs we need to set a substantial target. When chasing, we break it down into manageable parts to simplify the chase. She’s excellent with calculations, and I enjoy contributing to the strategies discussed. It’s a mutual understanding, keeping things simple,” she explained.

In their final round-robin match, India will face Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.