In the ongoing 1st Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India faces their long-time rivals, Australia, with two new faces in India’s lineup— all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and pacer Harshit Rana. Nitish impressed in the first innings with a knock of 41, while Harshit made an impact by claiming his first-ever international wicket, dismissing India’s long-time rival Travis Head! Watch video as Rana sends Head to the dugout.
Who is Harshit Rana?
Harshit Rana has played 10 First-Class matches, taking 43 wickets at an average of 24.00. His best bowling figures are 7/45 in an innings and 10/108 in a match. With an economy rate of 3.99 and a strike rate of 36.0, Rana has also claimed 3 four-wicket hauls, 2 five-wicket hauls, and 1 ten-wicket match, earning him an international debut in the historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The 22-year-old Harshit Rana received his debut cap from former captain Virat Kohli. With the bat, he scored a boundary but couldn’t contribute much, getting dismissed for just 7 runs off 5 balls. After India set a modest total of 150, Rana made his mark in just his third over, removing the dangerous Travis Head for 11 runs off 13 balls by uprooting his stumps.
Why was Travis Head’s Wicket Crucial?
Head has been a historic rival for India, being named Player of the Match in the last World Test Championship after contributing 181 runs across two innings, helping Australia snatch the title away from India. Given Head’s impactful record against India, debutant Harshit made a big statement by dismissing him cheaply. This wicket was crucial for India, reducing Australia to 41/4 in just 11.1 overs.
Watch Video:
Travis Head as his first international wicket – Harshit Rana has arrived! ⚡pic.twitter.com/mVRV9PD8s5
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) November 22, 2024