LIKE many Territorians approaching the holiday period, NT Strike all-rounder Luke Robins was Christmas shopping on Friday afternoon.
Most Territorians would have finished their Christmas shopping and headed home - not Robins. 
He was called away from the shops by Cricket Australia staff and asked to substitute field for Australia in the first Adelaide day-night Test.
The former PINT all-rounder knew he was going to have 12th-man duties at some point, as he did this time last year against India in Adelaide, but not so early in the match.
"I was only meant to help day three, four and five of the Test and I sat at home all day on the first day and thought if someone gets injured I might have to go in," Robins told the NT News.
He decided to go shopping, "and as soon as I got to the shopping centre they called and said we need you to come down and field".
Mitchell Starc had injured himself bowling.
"By the time I had got there they had sent Grant Baldwin, the team massage therapist, out in to the field," Robins said.
"I think I was possibly going to field a bit more if I got there earlier but I am not certain." Robins, an ex-Northern Territory under-17s and under-19s rep with enormous talent, plays at SACA first-grade side East Torrens.
A star of NT Strike's SACA Premier League campaign this year, he spent two overs in the field with the Australian team.
"I did the 12th-man stuff last year but I did not actually get on the field but when I went out at night time, the atmosphere was huge," Robins said.
"It is really hard to explain because you build it up in your head and think 'I do not want to field' because you do not want to drop a catch but when you get there it is a regular game of cricket.
"It was a pretty cool thing to do.
"Last year the boys were really welcoming and this year you come back and a few of the boys recognise you." Robins has not forgotten his roots. When the NT News spoke with him yesterday he was watching the NT in their Cricket Australia National Under-19s Championships match at Parkinson Oval against South Australia.