Harshit Rana answered his critics with a timely all-round effort in the series decider, making a strong case for his place in the ODI side.
He struck early with the ball, picking up two key wickets, and though he conceded runs at the death, he made amends when India were under severe pressure in the third ODI against New Zealand. Showing composure and flair with the bat, Rana rose to the occasion, stitching a vital stand with Virat Kohli and bringing up his maiden half-century to briefly revive hopes; however, it wasn’t enough as India lost the match and eventually the series.
Rana showed he has the firepower India have been looking for down the order, clearing the ropes with confidence and intent. Batting with an attacking approach, he struck four sixes and four boundaries, using his strength to dominate the bowling and assert himself at the crease.
Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who has criticised Harshit in the past, was all praise for him after his tremendous batting in Indore. While hailing Kohli’s knock, Srikkanth highlighted how Rana’s power-hitting shifted momentum, saying his assault left opposition players visibly shaken and injected belief into a faltering chase.
“Virat Kohli is King of Kings. Bow down to him. What a knock! If you look at the scorecard and the fall of wickets, they fell continuously. It was 1/28, 2/45, 3/68 and 4/71. Nitish Kumar Reddy came and steadied the innings and later hit sixes. But the real game-changer was Harshit Rana. The way Rana was batting, New Zealand players were shivering. I was amazed by Rana’s batting and performed at a different level. They were literally shaking and didn’t know what to do. He was hitting sixes effortlessly and his batting was tremendous,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“Harshit Rana gave Virat Kohli hope”
Srikkanth further highlighted the impact of Rana’s stand with Kohli, stressing how his runs kept India in the contest when the chase looked to be slipping away. He noted that Rana’s attacking approach dragged the required rate down and visibly unsettled the New Zealand camp at a crucial moment.
“Out of the 99 runs that Virat Kohli and Harshit Rana added, Rana made 52. That 52 runs were crucial and gave Kohli hope even though the asking rate was above 11. Rana’s hitting reduced it to 10 and New Zealand were scared. New Zealand captain was scared too,” he added.