"Test cricket is a tough place, there is no place to hide" - Morne Morkel reacts to Harshit Rana's struggles on Day 2 of 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test
Team India bowling coach Morne Morkel defended young pacer Harshit Rana after he struggled to make an impact in Australia's first innings in the ongoing pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Morkel stated that Test cricket is a tough place and that days like these can be a good learning curve for the 22-year-old.
While Jasprit Bumrah again stood out for India with figures of 4-61 in Australia's first innings, Rana went wicketless. The right-arm pacer proved expensive, conceding 86 runs in 16 overs, finishing with an economy rate of 5.40.
Speaking at a press conference after the end of the second day's play in Adelaide on Saturday, December 7, Morkel threw his weight behind Rana. The Team India bowling coach said (as quoted by ICC):
“Harshit Rana is playing his second Test match, it will be a big learning curve for him, playing his first time in Australia. He is a guy who will learn from today and we can just look to get better. Test cricket is a tough place, there is no place to hide. He has only played his second Test match; he is going to learn from these conversations."
"Playing in front of 50,000 people, that is intimidating. I want him to feel as a guy with a lot of potential, that we still back him as a team, we definitely do that. [I want to] just keep on having conversations with him, to keep learning. Ask good questions [to him]. Days like today [are] helpful. Even though they are painful, they are helpful in the longer way,” the 40-year-old went on to add.
India are in big trouble in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Batting first after winning the toss, the visitors were bowled out for 180 in 44.1 overs. In response, Australia put up 337 on the back of Travis Head's 140. At stumps on Day 2, India were 128-5 in their second innings, still trailing the Aussies by 29 runs.
Harshit Rana made an impressive debut in Perth
While Rana disappointed in the first innings of the Adelaide Test, he made an impressive debut in the first match of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth. The right-arm pacer registered figures of 3-48 from 15.2 overs in the first innings. The debutant got the big wicket of Travis Head (11) and added the scalps of Nathan Lyon (5) and Mitchell Starc (26).
In the second innings, he picked up the last wicket to fall, cleaning up Alex Carey (36) with a slower ball as India won the Test by 295 runs, registering their biggest Test win Down Under in terms of runs.