‘CAP 316, this one’s for you Dad’ – Harshit Rana dedicates India Test debut to his father

Harshit Rana. (Source – Getty Images)

India’s young pace sensation Harshit Rana had a memorable Test debut at Perth and delivered a brilliant performance that made both his country and his father proud. The 22-year-old seamer ended with impressive first-innings figures of 3/48 and played a crucial role in bowling out Australia for just 104 runs on Day 2 of the first Test.

The Delhi-born reflected on his father’s dream which came true on November 22 and dedicated his debut to his father. “CAP 316, A dream that my father and I saw 13 years ago has come true today. This one’s for you Dad,” he wrote on Instagram.

Also Read: ‘I bowl faster than you’ – Mitchell Starc engages in fun banter with Harshit Rana on Day 2

Wasn’t going to get a lot of sleep that night: Harshit Rana

The pacer also spoke about the night before making his debut in the longest format of the game. He revealed that as a kid he used to watch India vs Australia on television with his father and playing for India is huge for him.

“I wasn’t going to get a lot of sleep that night [before the game] and I went to sleep quite late. I didn’t listen to anything special, just followed my regular routine. I had [nervous flutters] the day before the match. [On the day] when I was giving the speech [at the cap presentation], I started to cry.I had seen this [Australia vs India] only on TV, waking up early and watching with my dad. So this is a huge deal for me,” he said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

His performance explained the selectors’ faith in his red-ball capabilities. Despite being known for his white-ball skills with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Rana displayed his best in the longer format. His maiden Test wicket, the prized scalp of Travis Head came through clever planning and execution, as he delivered an angled delivery that brushed Head’s off-stump.

“Personally, I am very happy with my performance and even happier with the way the team has performed. If you talk specially about that wicket, there was a discussion in the team about how to set him up and dismiss him. The plan was to attack his stumps, and I bowled a good ball and got a wicket. We get extra bounce when we come here and play on these wickets but we have to make sure we don’t get carried away. If we focus on bowling those good lines and lengths, it will help us. So that was the focus, to not get carried away,” Rana added.

India ended Day 2 at 172/0 with a lead of 218 runs, with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal unbeaten on 62 and 90, respectively. The visitors have got a significant advantage in the game and are looking to extend their lead.