Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana has lost his cool on the Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe during the ongoing first ODI at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Harshit Rana even sledged Josh Philippe after being hammered for an accidental six in the 11th over of Australia’s chase.
Philippe smashed a six off Rana in the 10.3 over, sending the ball over the third-man boundary from a back-of-length delivery outside off at 139.9 kph. The unexpected boundary left Rana visibly frustrated, but he made a comeback in the next delivery.
Harshit Rana loses cool on Josh Philippe in Perth ODI
On the very next ball that came at 140.3 kph from Rana angling into Philippe toward cover, the right-handed batter managed to play it safely toward cover. However, the Australian star didn’t get the run, but Rana served him some intense words, but the latter avoided any drama.
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Harshit Rana’s tactic to disturb Josh Philippe worked in favor of India, as the Australian star lost his wicket after the drinks break. Philippe’s aggressive innings came to an end thanks to Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh as Australia marched towards an easy victory in the first ODI.
Arshdeep Singh’s stunning catch ends Josh Philippe’s explosive knock
Washington Sundar bowled a short ball on the leg side, tempting Philippe to go for a big pull shot over backward square leg. The Australian batter connected well, sending the ball flying, but Arshdeep Singh was perfectly positioned at deep backward square leg.
The Indian pacer moved quickly to his left, adjusted his angle, and dived forward to grab a two-handed catch, ending Philippe’s attacking knock of 37 runs off 29 balls, which included three sixes and four boundaries. This wicket gave India a rare moment of cheer in a tough situation.
Well, Rana bowled four overs and remained wicketless while giving away 27 runs, while Sundar, Arshdeep, and Axar Patel each managed to get one wicket in the first ODI against Australia in Perth. Stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh led Australia from the front with a brilliant knock against India.
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Gautam Gambhir backs Harshit Rana for pace and strike power in Australia
Amid the heavy criticism over Rana’s selection for the three-match ODI series in Australia, former Indian cricketer Anand Rajan explained the reason behind Gautam Gambhir’s strong backing of the pacer.
The well-known coach explained that Rana’s strength is his pace and consistent wicket-taking ability. His strong strike rate and ability to hit the deck hard make him a key threat in Australia, boosting India’s bowling attack, especially in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence.
Rajan was quoted as saying by the Times of India, “His biggest strength is the ability to bowl at a high pace and pick wickets consistently at an impressive strike rate, which isn’t easy. Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has observed Rana closely at KKR, resulting in a concrete understanding of his strengths.
That has certainly played a role in his selection over any other bowler. Consider Rana’s strike rate in white-ball cricket rather than the economy rate. His ability to bowl at a high pace and hit the deck hard consistently will make him a lethal prospect in Australian conditions, which is vital, especially considering Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management.”
