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Right-arm pacer Harshit Rana made an impression on his ODI debut with a three-wicket haul on Thursday.
Harshit Rana finished with bowling figures of 3/53. (BCCI Photo)
In the space of three months, Harshit Rana has made his international debut across formats for India. The young fast bowler has also left an impression while doing so, taking a three-wicket haul in each of his debut and thus becoming the first ever from India to do so. There were questions over his inclusion ahead of Akash Deep during the second Test of India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide which was a day-night Test affair despite him taking four wickets on debut in the Perth.
His international career is still in its infancy, but Rana knows there will be all kind of noises around him which he must ignore.
“I believe that people will keep on talking,” Rana said after taking 3/53 from his seven overs during the first ODI against England on Thursday. “I just want to play, good or bad. I’m not bothered, I just want to deliver for my country. I don’t pay attention to those talks.”
Rana didn’t have the best of the start though as Phil Salt – his Kolkata Knight Riders teammate – creamed him for 26 runs in an over during what was the youngster’s first spell in ODI cricket on Thursday.
After a short break, Rana was brought back into the attack and success followed thanks to a brilliant catch from Yashasvi Jaiswal which gave the Delhi pacer his first ODI wicket in Ben Duckett.
“There are always ups and downs in cricket, I only wanted to focus on my length, bowl where I have to and I got the reward for that later. I didn’t do anything different in my second spell, just focussed on hitting the right areas,” he said.
Rana was included in India’s ODI squad for the England series in place of an unfit Jasprit Bumrah and was mentally prepared to be part of the playing XI in Nagpur.
“You get to know only when you come to the ground. Mentally, I’m always prepared whenever I come to the ground. I know that I can play anytime, anything can happen. So, mentally, I always keep myself prepared,” he said.
Rana says one-day format is difficult as it demands a bowler to perform different roles in different phases.
“This format is a bit difficult because it’s a long format, you get (to bowl) 10 overs. You have to play different roles in different phases. But if you practice it (well), it’s good,” the 23-year-old said.
- Location :
Nagpur, India, India
