Harshit Rana made his ODI debut against England on Thursday, marking an early turnaround for the bowler in the initial overs. The young pacer, who had previously participated in Test and T20I formats, was selected over Arshdeep Singh for the series opener in Nagpur. This decision raised some questions, and the early moments of his debut indicated that the 24-year-old might not be fully prepared for the 50-over format.

In just his third over, Rana faced a fierce onslaught from England’s aggressive opener, Phil Salt. The batter attacked Rana mercilessly, scoring 26 runs in a single over, which included three sixes and two fours, leaving the bowler visibly shaken.

Following this barrage, Rana was removed from the bowling attack. However, destiny had other plans for the debutant.

A few overs later, a miscommunication between Salt and his partner Ben Duckett resulted in Salt being run out for 43, granting Rana an opportunity for redemption. Captain Rohit Sharma capitalized on this moment, reintroducing Rana into the attack, a decision that quickly proved to be astute.

Rejuvenated, Rana responded with remarkable skill. He took advantage of Duckett’s nerves, who had just witnessed the run out, and bowled a perfectly executed short-pitched delivery. Duckett, attempting a pull shot, could only manage a top-edge that ascended into the air.

What ensued was an impressive fielding display from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who dashed from mid-wicket and executed a flawless dive to secure the catch.

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However, Rana's performance did not end there. Just two balls later, he struck again, dismissing Harry Brook with a blazing 143kph delivery that rose unexpectedly off the pitch. Brook, anticipating a low ball down the leg side, was caught off guard by the extra bounce. His gloves failed to evade the delivery, allowing wicketkeeper KL Rahul to complete a tidy catch behind the stumps.

From conceding 37 runs in just three overs—one of which was a maiden—to claiming two vital wickets in rapid succession, Harshit Rana dramatically transformed his debut.

Earlier, Jos Buttler, the captain of England, won the toss and chose to bat in Nagpur. In addition to Rana, Yashasvi Jaiswal also made his ODI debut for India in this match, while Virat Kohli was unable to participate due to a knee injury.

Read Also: Injury Woes: Virat Kohli Struggles Through Fitness Test, Declares Unavailability

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