Delhi pacer Harshit Rana, who earned a call-up to the Indian Test side for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia away from home, said that being selected for the tour is a big deal for him since the competitive attitude he has in his gameplay is very similar to that of the Aussies. Rana was among several fresh faces chosen for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, alongside young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, opener Abhimanyu Easwaran and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel.
Speaking after his five-wicket haul against Assam in the Ranji Trophy game at Delhi, Rana said that he had received no indications he was going to be part of the side and it was a “big deal” for him to be selected.
“Only when the team was announced did I know I was going to Australia. But I had indications that I might be selected for the Australia tour because they had me with the team to prepare. Being selected for Australia tour is a big deal for me. The kind of competitive attitude I like to play cricket with on the field is very similar to Australia’s,” said Rana as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
He also said that it was his father’s dream to have him play a Test at Lord’s against England, but he likes Australia more.
“It was my father’s dream that I play a Test against England sometime at Lord’s, but I personally like Australia more,” said Rana.
Rana, who is yet to make his international debut, has been with India’s white-ball teams ever since a breakout Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2024 with champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), in which the pacer took 19 wickets at an average of 20.15 in 13 matches.
The 22-year-old said that the exposure and interaction with the Indian team have helped him a lot as a cricketer and a person.
“I have been with the Indian team continuously since the IPL and I have learnt a lot of things there. This lesson is not only about cricket, but also about life, how a sportsperson advances his career and life. Even as a cricketer, I have grown a lot by being with the Indian team,” he said.
He said that he loves bowling to legendary batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the nets since their intent is always high and he gets valuable tips from them. He also opened up on his equation with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj and discussing the Australia tour with them.
“I love bowling to both of them (Rohit and Virat) in the nets because they also bat with the same intent in the nets like they do in a match. So there is no scope for you to make a mistake or bowl ordinary to them. I also spoke to Virat [Kohli] bhaiya and Rohit [Sharma] bhaiya, so they just told me to focus on my length and I am trying the same thing here,” said Rana.
“Recently when I was with the Indian team, I used to keep talking to Jassi [Jasprit Bumrah] and [Mohammed] Siraj bhaiya that if someday I get a chance to play there [in Australia], what should I do and what should I not do, which length will be right there and which is not. I have got an idea of all these things from both the bowlers and talking to them has helped me a lot,” he concluded.
Right-arm seamer Mohammed Shami was not included in the squad as India announced their team for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series against Australia next month.
Following the end of the ODI World Cup 2023, the India pacer suffered an ankle injury, which forced him to stay away from the field since November last year.
Nitish Reddy had a terrific T20I series against Bangladesh. He delivered a performance to remember with an explosive knock of 74 and two wickets to go with it, helping India secure a massive 86-run win over Bangladesh at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.
Easwaran has started well since the Duleep Trophy, scoring four tons in eight innings, and has managed to score 632 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 105.33 with the best score of 191 against Mumbai in the Irani Cup.
Kuldeep Yadav was unavailable for selection for the tour of Australia since he was referred to the BCCI Centre of Excellence after the end of the ongoing Test series against New Zealand for long-term resolution of his chronic left groin issue.
Opener Rohit Sharma will be leading the side and right-arm seamer Jasprit Bumrah will be his deputy.
The most awaited Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia will begin on November 22, with the first Test at Perth.
The second Test, scheduled for December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval, will feature the exciting day-night format under the stadium’s lights. After that, fans will turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test, which will be held from December 14 to 18.
The customary Boxing Day Test, set for December 26 to 30 at Melbourne’s storied Melbourne Cricket Ground, will bring the series to its penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test, to take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, will serve as the series climax, promising a dramatic conclusion to an exciting contest.
India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
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