'Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma Asked Me...,' Harshit Rana On Legendary Duo's Influence On His Bowling
Harshit Rana gets maiden call-up for Australia tour [Source: @KkrKaravan]
Harshit Rana’s journey to his first call-up to India’s Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia shows that it wasn’t just talent that brought him here. India recently announced the squad for the Test series, set to start on November 22, and even though Harshit hasn’t yet played an international match, he made it to the team thanks to backing from head coach Gautam Gambhir.
On October 25, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed the 18-member squad for the Australia tour. Notably, Mohammed Shami wasn’t included despite having returned to training, while Abhimanyu Easwaran and Nitish Kumar Reddy were also added to the lineup.
At just 22, Harshit shared his excitement in an interview, mentioning his ambition to represent India across all formats of the game.
"The team management is looking after my workload. I just want to play for India, whether it is in T20s, ODIs, or Test matches. I see myself as a three-format bowler,” Harshit said.
Harshit Rana Reveals Chat With Virat and Rohit
Being one of the reserve players in the recent India-New Zealand series, Harshit experienced what it’s like to train with the national team. “It’s been a great learning experience,” he shared,
“Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma asked me to focus on my length. Bowling to them is completely different from what I have experienced before. They train with the same intensity in the nets as they bat in the match. Once you bowl at them, it feels like you were playing a match. I also spoke to Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj about the length that one should bowl in Australia. They have shared their inputs as well,” he added.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will kick off in Perth, followed by a Day/Night Test in Adelaide on December 6. Australia will host the third Test in Brisbane on December 14, with the series wrapping up with the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test in Sydney.