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Rana had a stellar outing with the ball for India on his debut, picking up three wickets in the first innings against Australia
Harshit Rana in action against Australia in the BGT (AP)
It’s never an easy wait when you are so close, yet so far. Harshit Rana underwent a painstakingly long penance with the Indian team, travelling with them for multiple tours yet never getting the call-up. Up until now, when the pacer got his break to shine at the biggest stage of them all: the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Speaking about his patient wait to receive his debut call-up, Rana expounded on the important role that head coach and his IPL mentor Gautam Gambhir had to play throughout the period.
“Gauti bhaiyya (Gambhir) has always been extremely motivational for us. He used to tell us, “Whenever you get a chance, make the most of it and play. Remember that in a pool of so many players in India, you received the opportunity to represent the nation.”,” stated Rana.
“It was very hard for me, to be selected for so any tours with India yet never get the chance to play. But, like I said, Gauti bhaiyya (Gambhir) would always keep me motivated. He used to talk to my father before and after every match as well, and tell me to not worry. So, when the opportunity arose, I grabbed it fully.”
Rana had a stellar outing with the ball for India on his debut, picking up three wickets in the first innings including the splendid castling of Travis Head, who would go on to become his first international wicket.
“Personally, I am very happy with my performance. If we are talking about the wicket (Travis Head), there was a lot of discussion over how to set him up and attack him to remove him from the crease,” Rana said.
The KRR pacer recalled memories from his past of watching matches happening in Australia on the television with his father and fondly reminisced over his journey to making his mark on the international stage.
“I used to wake up and watch matches happening in Australia with my father on the TV. Now, I am here myself, playing. It is a big deal,” reminisced a happy Rana.
“I shed tears of joy the day I got to know that I will make my debut. I could not sleep the night before as expected, but nothing changed. I stuck to my routines and schedules.”
