'Aye slip rakh na': Why Harshit Rana thanked former India captain for dream wicket at SCG

Harshit Rana has emerged as one of the standout performers in the recent ODI series in Australia, delivering crucial breakthroughs and showcasing calm under pressure. The speedster picked up six wickets in the series, including a four for 39 in the final ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Speaking to teammate Washington Sundar, Rana reflected on how his experience from last year’s debut Down Under helped him plan his bowling and execute game-changing spell in the third ODI.



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“Obviously, it's a really blessed feeling for me,” said Harshit. “I never thought that I would come here again. I made my debut here for India a year ago. I can't describe that feeling but I'm very happy.”

Rana admitted that his previous experience in Australia helped him understand the conditions and plan his lengths. “I feel like it really helped me a lot because when I was here a year ago, it was new for me to come to Australia. But I came again here. It was in my mind which length I should bowl. I think that helped me a lot because I had an idea on which lengths I should hit.”

Click here to watch the chat between Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar.

Sundar praised Harshit for his persistence and smart bowling. “For all of us, it was great to see you run in really hard, spell after spell, bowling your heart out and getting those crucial wickets. Obviously, the difference was getting them for about 30 runs lesser. And it made a lot of difference to the game. The way you used your brains, especially after 35 overs, was amazing.”

Harshit, in turn, asked Sundar what made the difference this series compared to previous outings. Sundar explained: “I’ve played in Australia before, so I know what to expect from the wickets and the conditions. I just did a little bit of homework, and I think I did the homework a lot better than in the past. So I think it all worked well for me.”


Rana also acknowledged the challenges of bowling on spin-unfriendly wickets. “The wickets were not that spin friendly. It was not easy to bowl on these wickets. But it’s always a challenge no matter where we’re playing. I saw it as an opportunity. It’s fun to work really hard, especially bowling in such conditions where you get a little bounce, and sometimes it skids through and surprises the batsmen. So it’s always fun to play cricket in Australia,” he said.

When asked about his favorite wicket of the match, Harshit revealed the Owen dismissal: “I would say that's the Owen wicket. Before I was going to bowl to Owen, Shubman said to me, ‘keep slip.’ I said no, I don't want a slip. But Rohit Bhai said, ‘Aye slip rakh na (keep a slip).’ So he went to slip, and the first ball went there. I was like, thank God.”

Catch Lovlina Borgohain's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 5. Watch Here