India’s young pace attack answered every doubt in Vadodara, and Harshit Rana made sure the message was loud and clear after the team’s thrilling four-wicket win over New Zealand in the opener of the three-match ODI series on Sunday (February 11).
After Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, there was a lot of discussion on whether the young Indian bowling attack can take wickets with the new ball.
And this fear almost came true in Vadodara, as New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls performed strongly and made a huge partnership of 117 runs. They were scoring freely and it seemed that New Zealand were in complete control of the game.
Harshit Rana made headlines in Vadodara
But Harshit Rana once again stepped up when it mattered most in the first ODI, as the young fast bowler broke the partnership by removing both the openers, allowing India to get back into the match and change the momentum. Apart from taking two important wickets, Rana scored 29 runs in just 23 balls.
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His contribution played a key role in India’s four-wicket victory over the Black Caps in the first ODI. After the match, Rana stunned reporters with his candid response to doubts over the bowling attack, which was without Jasprit Bumrah in the ongoing New Zealand series.
The first ODI showed that even without Bumrah, India’s bowling unit can still perform well, and Rana made it clear that the notion that they will struggle without their top pace bowler with the new ball is wrong. He told that Mohammad Siraj bowled very well in the beginning and controlled the runs.
Harshit Rana shuts down discussion on Jasprit Bumrah’s absence with clear message
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Harshit further explained that it is not always necessary to take wickets in the first few overs, if the bowlers remain consistent early on, the pressure builds and wickets usually come later in the middle overs. Rana said his plan was to stick to his plans and not worry if he did not get wickets immediately.
Journalist: “We can see this in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. We can see the problem in Indian bowling. Wickets are not coming easily with the new ball. So, what is the reason for this?”
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Harshit Rana: “I don’t know what kind of cricket you have watched. If you see today, if they haven’t got any wickets, Siraj has bowled very well. We haven’t even given any runs with the new ball. And it’s not like that. It’s like, if you don’t get wickets with the new ball, you will get them out in the middle. This is the ODI stage.”
‘Shubman Gill is an independent and aggressive captain’
Harshit Rana also praised Indian captain Shubman Gill and called him an “independent and aggressive captain”. He concluded by saying, “For me, he is an independent and aggressive captain. If he has to take a decision, he thinks in advance that he has to do that thing, and then he doesn’t stress about it.”