'Anything is possible': Claire Polosak's history-making appointment

Instead, Polosak's mind drifted back to the annual pilgrimages she and her family had made during her childhood from Goulburn to Sydney to watch the New Year test match.

"It was special, because the Sydney Test match is the match we used to go to as a family every year," Polosak said.

"It would've been better if Mum and Dad had been able to attend, but obviously it wasn't sensible under the travel restrictions.

"The Sydney test holds a special place in the Australian cricket calendar, and to be involved in the Pink Test was very special."

The appointment itself came about as a result of the strong reputation Polosak has developed as an international umpire and the fact that she was in the right place at the right time.

Due to the uncertainty and restrictions around travel caused by COVID-19, it has become difficult for umpires to travel around the country as freely as they have in the past.

As Polosak already resides in Sydney, she was among the first nominees called up when Cricket Australia realised a new umpire was required for the Sydney test, and she subsequently passed all the necessary qualification requirements.

Polosak's career has been defined by firsts. She was one of the first pair of women to stand in a T20 World Cup in 2016, the first woman to stand in an Australian men's domestic fixture in 2017, and in 2019 became the first female umpire to officiate a men's ODI.

Following her latest achievement, Polosak said there was "no way" she could have foreseen this career trajectory as a youth.

"[Young Claire would] have said 'no way, you've got to be joking'," Polosak said.

"It would be really fascinating to see what happens over the next 10 to 15 years for the next generation of umpires to come through."

Following her confirmation as the fourth umpire for the Sydney match, Polosak said she was quickly inundated with emails from parents.

"I received lots of emails from people saying 'I've shown my daughter' or 'I've shown my son', and it shows that anything is possible," Polosak said.

"If you're patient and take time, opportunities will come when you least expect it."

The role of a fourth umpire is somewhat less glamorous than their on-field counterparts. Polosak's duties were many and varied, but essentially revolved around ensuring her colleagues needed for nothing and supervising the upkeep of the pitch.

This included taking care of the new balls, doing pitch inspections, working with groundstaff during periods of inclement weather, and ensuring proper maintenance of the square and the ground in general.

She also spent much of the match simply soaking in knowledge from her more experienced colleagues; the likes of David Boon, Paul Reiffel, Bruce Oxenford, and Paul Wilson.

When news broke that Polosak would officially become the first woman in history to umpire a men's test match, she received congratulations from both teams involved.

"The Australian team and the Indian team were fantastic to work with," Polosak said.

"Many of the Indians and Australians, but more of the Indian team congratulated me on my appointment, which was really nice of them to acknowledge.

"They realised what it was and that it was special."

As a member of Cricket Australia's supplementary umpire panel and the ICC development umpire panel, Polosak knows much of her career and many new achievements lie in the future.

But her biggest priority will remain inspiring and educating future generations of umpires, be they male or female.

"I think it's all about creating awareness, so that the next lot of umpires that come through, it'll be easier for them and they know about the pathways that are available to them," Polosak said.

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