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 three-match ODI series opener on Sunday (February 11).
With Jasprit Bumrah being rested for the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, there was a lot of talk about whether the young Indian bowling attack could take wickets with the new ball.
And this fear had almost come true in Vadodara, as New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls came out strong and put together a big 117-run partnership. They were scoring freely, and it looked like New Zealand was taking full control of the game.
Harshit Rana steals the spotlight in Vadodara
But Harshit Rana once again stepped up when it mattered most in the first ODI, as the young pacer broke the partnership by removing both openers, bringing India right back into the match and shifting the momentum. Apart from taking two crucial wickets, Rana scored a valuable 29 runs from just 23 balls.
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His contribution played a key role in India’s four-wicket win over the Black Caps in the first ODI. After the match, Rana left the reporter shell-shocked with his blunt response on 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 deliver, and Rana made it clear that notions that they will struggle without the ace pacer with the new ball are wrong. He explained that Mohammed Siraj bowled very well at the start and kept the runs under control.
Harshit Rana shuts down Jasprit Bumrah absence talk with a 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, saying if the bowlers stay tight early on, the pressure builds, and wickets usually come later in the middle overs. Rana said that their plan was to stick to their plans and not worry if wickets do not come immediately.
Journalist: “We can see that in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. We can see a problem in Indian bowling. With the new ball, the wickets aren’t coming easily. So, what is the reason for that?”
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Harshit Rana: “I don’t know which cricket you have seen. If you look at it today, if he has not got any wickets, Siraj has bowled very well. We have not even given away any runs with the new ball. And it isn’t like that. It’s like, if you don’t get wickets with the new ball, you will take them out in the middle. This is the ODI phase.”
‘Shubman Gill is a free and aggressive captain’
Harshit Rana also hailed the Indian captain Shubman Gill, calling him a “free and aggressive captain.” He signed off by saying, “For me, he is a free and aggressive captain. If he has to take a decision, he thinks beforehand that he has to do that thing, and then he doesn’t stress about it.”
