India pacer Harshit Rana shared the emotional moment when he received the news of his debut against Australia in the Perth Test, which marked the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Harshit was one of two debutants in the Indian team for this crucial encounter.
The Delhi pacer made an immediate impact with the ball, supporting Jasprit Bumrah, who took 5 wickets, by claiming 3 wickets himself. On Day 1, he dismissed Travis Head and followed it up by cleaning up the Australian tail on Day 2, as India bundled Australia out for just 104 runs. By the end of Day 2, India had a commanding lead of 218 runs.
Harshit finished with impressive figures of 3 for 48 in 15.2 overs. Reflecting on his debut, he admitted to a restless night before the match. “Yes, I couldn’t sleep until very late before my debut. But in the morning, I won’t say there were any (nervous) flutters. But the flutter was there a day before that when I had to make a speech in a team environment when I was told I would be making my debut. I broke down. Mein ro pada (I cried),” Harshit shared.
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He also recalled the special connection he has with Australia, remembering how he and his father would wake up early to watch cricket there. “As a kid, I would get up early in the morning with my papa to watch cricket in Australia. Yeh mere liye bahut badi baat hai (to play here is a big thing for me),” Harshit said.
Harshit is expected to play a key role in India’s bowling attack as they look to set a challenging target for Australia.