NEW DELHI: Harshit Rana carried immense pressure going into the third and final ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). On top of the expectations was the ongoing debate over his selection ahead of
Arshdeep Singh. He faced criticism for his previous outings, but didn’t respond publicly. He was trolled for being Gautam Gambhir’s 'man', yet he remained silent.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Despite questions from every corner about his selection, all Rana did was wait for his moment and it finally arrived at the iconic SCG, where he claimed four wickets, celebrated, and silently walked with his team inside the dressing room.
His silence clearly said – 'message well conveyed'. Generating pace and bounce off the SCG turf, Rana finished with figures of 8.4 overs, 4 wickets for 39 runs, at an economy of 4.50, helping India bowl out Australia for 236 runs.
The young pacer had a rocky start on the tour – in Perth and Adelaide – and when he was picked for the Sydney ODI ahead of left-arm seamer Arshdeep, he once again found himself in the spotlight. But it was head coach Gautam Gambhir's clear, stern warning that pushed him forward. The message was: “Perform kar, warna bahar bitha dunga” [Perform or I will make you sit outside the team].
In a phone call with his childhood coach Sharvan, Rana admitted the immense pressure he faced. Sharvan revealed the SCG match was a big test for the 23-year-old.
Sharvan said Rana wanted to perform and shut out the outside noise, and it was Gambhir who pumped him up.
"He called me and told me that he wanted to shut the outside noise with his performance. I just said, believe in yourself. I know some cricketers say he is close to Gambhir. But Gambhir knows how to identify talent, and he backs them. He has backed a lot of cricketers, and they have done wonders for their team. He in fact scolded Harshit badly. He told him directly, ‘perform kar, warna bahar bitha dunga.’ He sends a clear message to whoever you are," said Sharvan.
"Rana is 23. Let’s give him some time," he added.
Sharvan minced no words in hitting back at former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth who had alleged that Rana had been picked in the ODI squad for the tour of Australia for being Gambhir's 'yes man'.
"First Krishnamachari Srikkanth took the case of this kid. After retirements, cricketers have started their YouTube channels to earn, but please don’t scrutinise any kid who just started. They have the right to guide, scold, but please don’t say anything for your YouTube channel’s visibility," Sharvan said.
After India crushed West Indies 2-0 in the Test series this month, Gambhir hit back at Srikkanth and called his act 'shameful'.
Rana ended the series as the highest wicket-taker from both sides and these outings will do his confidence a world of good for the upcoming assignments.
Cast Your Vote for India's Biggest Habit Index and Get an Exclusive First Look Before Results Go Live. Take the survey here!