Harshit Rana showcased his batting prowess during the IND vs NZ 3rd ODI on Sunday. Rana walked into bat with India in trouble in their chase of 338. The 24-year-old joined hands with another Delhi star in Virat Kohli to keep India in the hunt at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Rana grew in confidence as the innings processed. In the 43rd over, Rana denied Kohli a double much to the bemusement of the former India captain. Rana made full use of that trust, smashing a six off the next ball much to the shock of the Indian dressing room.
Harshit Rana soon followed it up with yet another maximum to score his maiden ODI half-century. It was a fighting effort from the Delhi fast bowler, repaying the trust of the team management in such a crucial encounter. Milestone achieved, India coach Gautam Gambhir advised Rana to play for singles and give Virat the strike in pursuit of victory.
This is where Harshit's inexperience came to the fore. The 24-year-old ignored the coach's call and went for the big hit again, only to miscue straight into the hands of the fielder. Gambhir was livid and it ended any hopes India had of chasing down the score.
Rana's wicket meant that Kohli had to do it all by himself with no support. The 37-year-old still tried to take the game deep, but with the asking rate climbing there was no way out. At the time of Rana's dismissal, India still needed 61 runs in a little over 6 overs. The hosts could manage only 19 more, slipping to an embarrassing 41-run defeat.
