Perth has been won, now it is Adelaide’s turn. Team India has started preparing for this and the first test of its preparations will be in Canberra. A two-day practice match is starting from Saturday 30th November in the capital of Australia, in which Team India will face Prime Minister’s XI. This is a day-night practice match because only day-night matches will be played in Adelaide from 6th December. Although the preparations of Team India will be taken stock in this match, but the eye will also be on the player who made his debut in the first match itself. This player is Harshit Rana who impressed in Perth but he may have to sit out in the second test.
Impressed in Perth, will still have to be out?
Young fast bowler Harshit Rana started his international career with the Perth Test. The decision to play him on the fast and bouncy pitch of Perth proved correct and he proved to be a problem for the Australian batsmen. He gave a big relief to Team India by taking the very important wicket of Travis Head in the first innings itself and played a big role in restricting Australia to just 104 runs. Harshit had taken 3 wickets. However, he looked ineffective in the second innings and when the pitch started becoming good for batting, his lack of experience was clearly visible.
In such a situation, now the curiosity remains whether he will be played in Adelaide Test? The practice match going to be held in Canberra can give an indication of what Team India thinks. If we compare the pink ball used in the day-night test match and the historical behavior of the Adelaide pitch with Harshit’s bowling style, then they do not seem to match. Harshit mainly has the ability to trouble the batsmen by bowling short off length or short pitch. He had the same role in the Perth Test also. But there will be less need for it in Adelaide.
Why is Adelaide different, who will get the chance?
In fact the pink ball generally has more swing and seam than the red ball. Especially in the evening, the movement of this ball is seen more. In such a situation, the fast bowlers of every team mainly try to pitch the ball a little ahead so that the batsman can be dodged through swing or seam. Obviously Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj are capable of this. Now, if Team India also wants to field with 3 leading fast bowlers in Adelaide, then it can use Akash Deep in this role, whose bowling style is similar and he may like the pink ball more. In such a situation, it is possible that Harshit may have to sit out for the time being after just one test.