IND vs AUS 2nd T20I: Why was Harshit Rana sent ahead of Shivam Dube? Abhishek Sharma reveals
The Men in Blue were humbled at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground by the hosts. The India vs Australia T20I series opener in Canberra showed a glimpse of an in-form Indian batting line-up as Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav seemed to have found their form back. However, the match was washed out within the first innings itself. As the proceedings moved to the IND vs AUS 2nd T20I, the mirage of a firing batting order was revealed as a hoax. Josh Hazlewood razed through the visitors' line-up, bundling out India for just 125. Meanwhile, the attack saw pacer Harshit Rana coming ahead of all-rounder Shivam Dube at the MCG, raising questions over Gautam Gambhir.
Abhishek Sharma explains the promotion of Harshit Rana ahead of Shivam Dube in the IND vs AUS 2nd T20I
The IND vs AUS 2nd T20I tested the guests in every aspect. No matter the captain, the coin seems to have forgotten to fall in India's favor. Suryakumar Yadav lost the toss and was called to bat first in Melbourne. Abhishek Sharma started with his signature aggressive approach. However, the young opener, India's sole fighter at the MCG, later revealed being surprised by the pace and bounce on the pitch.
Josh Hazlewood made merry in the spicy conditions, sending Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma back cheaply. Meanwhile, despite wickets falling like a pack of cards on the other end, Abhishek Sharma kept up the aggression, while ensuring his stay was extended. Amid Abhishek's fight, Harshit Rana came in to bat ahead of Shivam Dube. The pacer, while endorsed by Gautam Gambhir and his management as an all-rounder, is still largely seen as a specialist bowler.
However, Harshit showed his capability with the bat, turning up as the only partner for Abhishek who forged a 50-run stand. While Rana's grit was appreciated, the move was still questioned as Dube came in to bat at No. 8. Moreover, the 56-run stand between Rana and the in-form Abhishek saw the pacer dealing with 33 deliveries. With both sharing 47 deliveries between themselves, Harshit played 33, scoring 37. Meanwhile, Abhishek played just 10, adding 18 runs, as the issue with India's strike rotation eventually emerged as one of the elements leading to the 4-wicket defeat in the India vs Australia contest.
Meanwhile, following the match, Abhishek Sharma addressed the press, where he revealed the reason behind Rana's promotion in the batting order. Answering the query, the 25-year-old opener, who is also a left-arm spinner, highlighted Rana's batting abilities. The batter talked about Rana hitting him for sixes in the nets. As for the IND vs AUS 2nd T20I, Abhishek revealed that the management wanted to continue the left-right combination in Melbourne, leading to the pacer coming up ahead of Shivam Dube in the line-up.
"I knew Harshit could bat - he hits sixes off me a lot in the nets. He told me, 'let's play a little normal', and that helped. The right-left combination worked well, and that's why he went up the order ahead of Shivam Dube," Abhishek said about Rana's promotion.
