Day 2 of the Perth Test featured lighthearted banter between debutant Harshit Rana and Mitchell Starc. The two pacers, who shared the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) dressing room and clinched the IPL title together earlier this year, found themselves on opposing sides at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
After ducking under Rana’s bouncer, Starc quipped, “Harshit, I bowl faster than you. I’ve got a long memory.” The 22-year-old Delhi pacer responded with a broad smile and followed up with a barrage of short balls aimed at the Australian.
In the 40th over, Rana delivered another sharp bouncer that struck Starc square on the helmet as the Australian attempted to duck. Displaying great sportsmanship, Rana immediately extended his arm to check on Starc’s well-being and even double-checked to ensure he was okay.
You can watch the video here:
Great gesture from Harshit Rana after Starc was hit on the helmet#INDvsAUS #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/x6DhhLFdNW
— INSANE (@1120_insane) November 23, 2024
Rana made his international debut in the ongoing match, with Ravichandran Ashwin presenting him his first Test cap. On Friday (November 22), the 22-year-old cricketer from Delhi claimed his debut Test wicket, clean bowling Travis Head and breaking his stumps.
Rana continued his impressive performance on Saturday morning, taking his second wicket by dismissing Nathan Lyon, who was batting at No. 10 for Australia. Lyon was caught in the slips by KL Rahul.
Bumrah Excels in Perth
India’s star pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, has delivered a standout performance in the match, taking four wickets on Day 1 and completing his five-wicket haul by dismissing Alex Carey with his first ball on Day 2.
With five Australian wickets to his name, Bumrah has now reached 50 wickets in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC), becoming the first pacer and third Indian bowler overall, after R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, to achieve this milestone in a single WTC edition.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.