Harshit Rana made his ODI ODI after being handed the India cap in the opening One-day International of the three-match series in Nagpur on Thursday. However, the occasion was marred by an unwanted record as Rana conceded 26 runs in a single over, making it the most expensive over bowled by an Indian debutant in ODIs where ball-by-ball data is available.
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The expensive over also ignited debate among cricket fans, with many questioning the right-arm pacer’s inclusion in the squad and starting XI. Social media platforms were flooded with comments questioning the team management’s decision.
“How Harshit Rana is in squad ahead of Siraj who is world’s highest wicket taker in ODIs since last 2 years. Further, how Harshit Rana started in XI ahead of Arshdeep Singh who is part of CT25 Squad?,” one fan questioned, echoing the sentiments of many others.
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While Rana did strike twice later in his spell, his initial burst left a lot to be desired.
Meanwhile, England skipper Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to bat against India.
The hosts missed star batter Virat Kohli due to a “sore right knee” but pacer Mohammed Shami returns to ODI action for the first time since India’s World Cup final against Australia on November 19.
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Shami, who was the leading wicket-taker (24) for India in the tournament, made his International comeback in the T20I series against England, which India recently won 4-1.
The Rohit Sharma-led side handed debuts to young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and seamer Harshit Rana.
This is India’s first ODI since August 2024, when they lost a three-match series 0-2 to Sri Lanka.
Teams:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Shami.
England: Jos Buttler (c), Ben Duckett, Phil Salt (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood.
