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Harshit Rana fires back on question of lack of wickets with new ball in Bumrah's absence: ‘Don’t know which cricket…'
Harshit Rana wasn't pleased with asked about India's lack of wickets with the new ball in ODIs in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.
Harshit Rana might have faced brickbats last year for being chosen in all three formats of the game, but the bowling all-rounder is slowly but surely making a place for himself. The 24-year-old from Delhi once again stepped up, taking two wickets and scoring a crucial 29 off 23 balls to help the hosts win the first ODI against New Zealand by four wickets at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday. He came ever so close to winning the Player of the Match, but in the end, the accolade went to Virat Kohli and deservedly so, as the latter returned with 93 runs in the chase of 301.
The first ODI did not get off to an ideal start for India, as New Zealand's openers, Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls, put on 117 runs. However, Rana stepped up with the ball as he dismissed both the Kiwi openers when the visitors were going strong.
When Rana came to address the media during the post-match press conference, a journalist asked about the team's inability to scalp wickets with the new ball in ODIs, especially in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.
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“We can see that, in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. We can see a problem in Indian bowling. With the new ball, the wickets are not coming easily. So, what's the reason for that?” the reporter asked.
However, Rana wasn't pleased with the question as he fired back, saying the hosts did not leak runs with the new ball and the job was done.
“I don't know which cricket you've seen. If you look at it today, if he hasn't got any wickets, Siraj has bowled very well. We haven't even given away any runs with the new ball. And it's not like that. It's like, if you don't get wickets with the new ball, you'll take them out in the middle,” Rana said while replying to the question during the post-match press conference.
“This is the ODI phase,” he added.
India takes a 1-0 lead
Virat Kohli put on a masterclass, returning with a knock of 93 as India chased down the target of 301 with four wickets in hand and six balls to spare. Skipper Shubman Gill also hit 56 while Shreyas Iyer scored 49.
Earlier, Rana, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishan returned with two wickets each as India restricted New Zealand to 300/8 in the allotted fifty overs.
India and New Zealand will now face each other in the second ODI on Wednesday, January 14, at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
