India suffered a 10-wicket loss at the hands of Australia on Sunday in the pink ball Test in Adelaide, which meant the Aussies equalled the series 1-1, with three more games to go.
India had a positive start in Perth but the Men in Blue were comprehensively outplayed in Adelaide.
India's batters and bowlers were both questioned for their performances in the day-night Test. While the batters were bundled for 180 runs in the first innings, the bowling unit also flattered to deceive with no bowler other than Jasprit Bumrah actually troubling the Aussie batsmen until the damage was done.
The likes of Harshit Rana were completely ineffective and went wicketless in the game. In fact, Travis Head who scored a 141-ball 140 took a particular liking to Rana in the game.
The 22-year-old speedster's inclusion was raised as Rohit Sharma addressed the media after the disastrous defeat in Adelaide. The Indian skipper was quick to dismiss any criticism towards Rana.
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What did Rohit Sharma say about Harshit Rana after loss in Adelaide?
Rohit defended Rana despite his sub-par performance against Australia in Adelaide. After starring in the series-opener picking four wickets, the youngster conceded 86 runs in the first innings with nothing to show for, in the second Test.
The 37-year-old stated that the Delhi-born speedster provided breakthroughs for the team in Perth, and did not put a foot wrong at the Optus Stadium. The reason was enough for the team management to select him for the pink ball Test, despite his inexperience.
"Rana ne kuch galat nahin kiya tha first Test match mein. Unhone jo bhi kiya, kaafi accha kiya. Crucial breakthroughs jab team ko chahiye they unhone dilaaya", Rohit Sharma told the media after Adelaide defeat. (Rana didn't do anything wrong in the first Test and did well there. Whenever the team needed crucial breakthroughs, he provided it)
"Main believe karta hoon ki kisi ne kuch galat nahin kiya hai toh bina kisi reason ke bahar nahin kiya jaa sakta hai aur karna bhi nahin chahiye", he added. ("I feel if a player hasn't done anything wrong, he shouldn't be dropped.")
MORE: Is Mohammad Shami traveling to Australia?
How did Harshit Rana perform in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25?
| Test | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 3/48 | 1/69 |
| 2nd Test | 0/86 | DID NOT BOWL |
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