Harshit Rana is a youngster who is a speedster, and played as number seven in the second Twenty20 game of India against Australia. He had been dispatched before all-rounder Shivam Dube who had arrived at the crease as a batter at position number eight. Explaining the logic behind the decision, Shubman Gill explained by saying that India lost the four wicket match at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, October 31.
The fifth Indian wicket fell in the eighth over and they had scored 49. On one side Abhishek Sharma was firing at full blast. Harshit came in the middle of the Punjab batsman and contributed 56 runs with 47 balls. The 23 year old scored 35 out of 33 balls, three fours, and one six. Dube did not even live long after being removed in the 16th over after Bartlett Xavier claimed two wickets in three balls.
India were eventually dismissed for 125 in 18.4 overs. Abhishek top-scored with 68 runs off 37 balls, including eight fours and two sixes.
Harshit batted at No. 9 in the second ODI, scoring an unbeaten 24 off 18 balls. Following the game, ODI captain Gill discussed Harshit’s batting talents.
“With the No.8 position, if a batsman can make 20-25 runs there – which we have confidence Harshit can do – then it becomes a very important position,” Gill explained.
Harshit has a century and 28 sixes in 14 red-ball inning with a first-class score. Before the 2 nd T20I this child had been batting just 11 times in 42 T20s, and only once higher than No.9.
India may have sought to protect Dube, the more experienced hitter, and save him for the end of the innings, when he could help the tourists score some quick runs with his big-hitting ability. The southpaw isn’t known for his defensive skills, and he could have struggled on the hot deck in Melbourne against the blazing Australian pacers. Dube edged both deliveries he faced in the innings; one went for a boundary through third man, while the other was wonderfully caught by wicketkeeper Josh Inglis diving to his left.
Although Harshit was playing his part and established a crucial relationship with Abhishek, he did not give them the opening that he would have preferred. Abhishek was only hit by 14 out of the 47 balls.
Six wickets in the pursuit saw Australia achieve the target in only 13.2 overs with Mitchell Marsh the captain registering 46 out of 26 balls.
