WATCH: Pacer Harshit Rana clinches 4 wickets in just 6 balls to dismantle PM XI’s batting order
New Delhi: Young India pacer Harshit Rana delivered a fiery spell on Sunday, triggering a dramatic middle-order collapse for Prime Ministers XI on the second day of the warm-up game in Canberra.
In a brilliant display of fast bowling with the moving pink ball, Harshit Rana claimed four wickets in just six balls, causing Prime Ministers XI to collapse from a strong 131 for 2.
Double blow by #HarshitRana, dismisses a settled Clayton and follows up with Davies, rattling Australia’s batting order in the #PinkBallTest #AUSvINDonStar Warm-up match LIVE NOW on Star Sports! #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/t7DkGfLPja
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 1, 2024
Harshit, who began his spell in the 15th over, initially gave away some runs but made a stunning comeback in the 23rd and 25th overs, turning the tide for India.
Prime Minister’s XI, cruising at 131 for 2, collapsed to 133 for 6 after Harshit’s fiery four-wicket burst across two overs.
Harshit’s first breakthrough came in the 23rd over when he dismissed Jack Clayton, who was batting on 40, with a stunning delivery that knocked him over on the fourth ball.
The 22-year-old pacer followed up with another superb delivery, dismissing Oliver Davies for a two-ball duck, leaving Prime Minister’s XI at 131 for 4 by the end of the 23rd over.
Harshit came back in the 25th over and struck on the very first ball, removing Jack Edwards. The pacer bowled a short delivery, and Edwards attempted a pull shot but mistimed it, sending the ball straight to Prasidh Krishna at long leg, where he took a simple catch for just 1 run.
Harshit claimed his fourth wicket a ball later when Sam Harper fell in a similar fashion. The pacer bowled another short delivery, and Harper attempted a bold pull shot, only to mistime it and offer a simple catch to Prasidh Krishna at long leg.
With Harper’s departure for a two-ball duck, PMXI were left reeling at 133 for six.
In the very next over Prasidh dismissed Aidan O Connor for 4 as the PMXI further slumped to 138 for 7.
Earlier, Rohit Sharma-led India won the toss and chose to bowl first against Jack Edwards’s Prime Minister’s XI in the two-day warm-up match at the Manuka Oval.
After the opening day was entirely washed out, rain disrupted the second day as well, leading to the 50-over game being shortened to a 46-over-a-side contest.
With the warm-up game, India is fine-tuning their preparations for the pink-ball Test, which is set to begin on December 6 in Adelaide.