IND vs ENG: Harshit Rana recovers well to end debut spell with 3 wickets

India's ODI debutant Harshit Rana ended up having a decent outing with the ball for the Men in Blue in the 1st ODI against England in Nagpur. The 24-year-old was picked up ahead of Arshdeep Singh for the first match and the KKR bowler didn't disappoint with his efforts.

 

What started off as a disaster for the pacer turned out to be a decent debut spell in the 50-over format.   Rana humbled by Phil Salt at the start

 

In just his third over, debutant Harshit Rana found himself on the receiving end of a ruthless attack by England's aggressive opener, Phil Salt. The batter unleashed a brutal assault, smashing Rana for 26 runs in an over, including three sixes and two fours, leaving the bowler shaken.  Check India vs England 1st ODI live score updates and full scorecard here

 

After this onslaught, Rana was taken off the attack. However, fate had a chance for redemption waiting. A few overs later, a mix-up between Salt and his batting partner Ben Duckett led to Salt's run-out at 43, giving Rana an opportunity to make amends. Captain Rohit Sharma, recognizing the moment, brought Rana back into the attack, and it turned out to be a pivotal decision.  Rana responds well to pressure

 

Refreshed and ready, Rana responded brilliantly. He took advantage of Duckett's vulnerability, following the run-out, and bowled a perfect short-pitched delivery. Duckett, attempting a pull shot, could only top-edge the ball, sending it high into the air.

 

What followed was a spectacular piece of fielding by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who sprinted from mid-wicket, launching into a flawless dive to complete a clean catch.

 

Rana wasn’t finished yet. Just two balls later, he struck again, dismissing Harry Brook with a sharp 143kph delivery that reared off the surface. Brook, expecting a low ball down the leg side, was caught off guard by the extra bounce. His gloves failed to avoid the ball, and wicketkeeper KL Rahul made a tidy catch behind the stumps.  Check all latest updates for Champions Trophy 2025 here  Rana ending spell with 3 wickets

 

From conceding 37 runs in just three overs, including a maiden, to taking two quick wickets, Harshit Rana dramatically turned his debut performance around.

 

Rana then went on to take the wicket of Liam Livingstone who was left frustrated with the slower balls and tried to run down the wicket on a shorter delivery. The result went in the favour of the pacer who managed to get a thick edge off Livingstone's bat which flew straight into the gloves of KL Rahul.  The pacer ended his spell with figures of 3/53 in his 7 overs as India hopes of getting another talented pacer for the future now.  Harshit living his 'dream life' 

Harshit Rana talked to the experts in the mid-innings interview and expressed his delight to make his ODI debut and became another player to represent India in all the three formats.

 

Harshit said that he is living a dream life and his hardwork is finally paying off for him.

 

When asked about his approach in the middle, he said that he was looking to not give the English batters any room to hit big shots. He also said that Rohit Sharma and him talked about the same which had him sticking to the line at the stumps.