It didn’t take long for young fast bowler Harshit Rana to prove his worth when he broke the stumps of Travis Head to pick up his first Test wicket during the first Test match between Australia and India in Perth.
Rana picked up the big wicket on the first ball of the twelfth over of Australia’s first innings. The 22-year-old bowled a long-range ball outside off stump while Head was caught on the back foot and trying to defend.
But the ball went over its outer edge to break the top. The bails flew into the air and Rana ran out to celebrate. Travis Head had no response to this ball as he was completely fooled by the quick debutant.
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Do you have a headache? Don’t worry #HarshitFrog It’s here! 😁
A dream start to his international career for the young pacer! 🔥
📺 #AUSvINDOnStar 👉 1st Test, Day 1, LIVE NOW! #AUSWIN #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/JhLj35Hqee
– Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 22, 2024
In Harshit Rana’s previous over, Travis Head had hit four 2 fours off him. But the youngster came back strongly to produce a beauty on the first ball of his next over. It was a perfect response from Rana and the batsman and no response.
Travis Head has worried India with a no. of times before. The left-hander hits aggressively and has the ability to take away the opponent’s game single-handedly. His wicket was important for India as Australia had lost a counter-attack batsman.
Harshit Rana will also remember this wicket as it was not only a great ball but also his first Test wicket. The youngster made the most of Head’s ability to stay back in the box rather than advance.
Indian fast bowlers on fire
Meanwhile, the three Indian fast bowlers contributed while wreaking havoc on Australia’s batting order. The home team had no answers for some fast and classy bowling on a pitch that offered a lot of pace and bounce.
Bumrah picked up the first three wickets while Rana got the fourth wicket in the form of Travis Head. It was an excellent bowling performance by India that allowed their team to get back into the match. Australia went 67-7 at stumps on Day 1.
Australia holds India to low score
Earlier, India had been bowled out for just 150. None of the Indian batsmen could reach the fifty-run mark on a day reserved for the bowlers of both sides. Debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy shone with the bat for India as he top-scored with 41 off 59 balls.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant also contributed well with a magnificent 37 off 78 balls. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of Australia’s bowlers as he picked up 4 wickets. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Marsh picked up two wickets each.