Harshit Rana Wins Big Praise from Indias 1983 World Cup Champion
New Zealand might have won the series against India, but the Indian team has seen various positives lately. Virat Kohli has been in the headlines throughout the series. But this time, it was Harshit Rana who received high praises from the former Indian cricketer.
New Zealand might have won the series against India, but the Indian team has seen various positives lately. Virat Kohli has been in the headlines throughout the series. But this time, it was Harshit Rana who received high praises from the former Indian cricketer.
Only a few players have been able to shine with both bat and ball equally in an ODI match. If you take 3 wickets in an innings, it is considered to be a great day as a bowler. And if you scored a half-century for the team, it is considered to be a great day as a batsman. But if you have done both, it shows your adaptability with both bat and ball.
And this was done by Harshit Rana in the third ODI match against New Zealand. He delivered well for the team with both bat and ball, coming out as an explosive all-rounder. Whether the team needed initial wickets or someone to stand with Kohli in the chase, Rana stood at all times and took India close to the win.
1. Rana’s All-round Performance
Harshit Rana delivered an all-round performance for the Indian team in the third ODI. Although India has lost the game and the series both, it is clear that the team is now having a bowler who can score runs even in crucial stages. First of all, Harshit Rana had a great start to the game with the ball.
With the ball, he started off by taking the wicket of Devon Conway in the very first ball of his over. It was a good start for Rana with the ball and he continued it, having Arshdeep Singh at the other end. Following this, he also went on to take the wicket of Will Young in the 13th over of the game, putting India at a better stage.
He then conceded a lot of runs but also made sure to comeback well. By the end of his 10 overs, Rana was also able to take the wicket of Kristian Clarke. This helped him to finish with the figures of 84 runs and 3 wickets in 10 overs. And now, it was time for Harshit Rana to shine with the bat, which came out to be unexpected.
In the chase, Virat Kohli stood as the lone warrior for the Indian team. All he needed was constant support from the other end, and this is where Harshit Rana stepped in. Rana was able to build up a 99-run stand with Virat Kohli, which took the Indian team way too close to the win. But he got out after scoring 52 runs off 43 balls, following which Kohli also got out soon.
2. Sunil Gavaskar Praises Harshit
Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian cricketer, was also present in the commentary panel. And just like everyone else, he was also impressed with the batting performances of Harshit Rana. His performances with the ball have been consistent for the Indian team, but he came out to be stellar this time with the bat.
Gavaskar said, “Very, very good innings. He batted just like a lower-order batter bats, without any worry. There were no expectations from him. He knew that his job was to swing his bat. If he connected, great. There were occasions when the short ball was bowled. He was trying to slice it up.”
He further continued, “He wasn't able to get it, but that didn't frustrate him because he recognized that, 'If you pitch it up, I am going to hammer you, or if you pitch it halfway down, I am going to hit you for six,' and that's exactly what he did. That was the impressive part for me, that he did not get hustled by the fact that he hadn't really got any of those runs.”
Gavaskar also explained how Rana handled the match situation. He said, “You had somebody like a Kohli at the other end. How many people have the opportunity to bat with a Kohli or a Tendulkar? You just want to savor all those moments. You want to stick there as long as you can because at the end of the over, when these great men talk to you, they might just say, 'Keep going or that was a good shot.' It is something to savor and remember for all your life.”
India will now be playing its next ODI match after six months. Till then, it will be intense to see how Rana progresses in the upcoming months which feature T20 cricket only.
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