Former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth believes young pacer Harshit Rana could have been the Player of the Match had the Men in Blue won the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide.
Srikkanth had recently criticized Rana’s consistent selection in the Indian sides across formats. Yet, while lauding his first spell with the ball, the former captain also felt that the young seamer bowled far too short in his second spell.
Rana picked up the big wickets of Travis Head and Matthew Short but conceded 59 runs off his eight overs.
### Srikkanth’s Take on Harshit Rana’s Bowling
Talking about Harshit Rana’s bowling after the game on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said (19:15):
“He bowled very well in his first spell and picked up two good wickets. I thought India had won the match. In fact, when he picked up the second wicket, I thought he had a good chance to be the Player of the Match with a crucial 24 and two wickets. But exactly then, he bowled short ball after short ball and got smashed.”
He continued, “Bowling short at that pace is no use. Australians love short-pitched bowling and we fed them repeatedly. Harshit Rana bowls well when he comes over the wicket but gets smashed when he goes round the wicket. He took the first wicket out of the confidence he got with his knock. I thought after getting a second wicket, he got his confidence back. But after that he and the rest of the bowlers fed Mitchell Owen and Cooper Connolly. He bowled a terrible second spell. First spell he bowled very well.”
Despite Rana’s two-wicket spell, Australia chased down the target of 265 with two wickets to spare to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
### “He Played Like a Middle-Order Batter” – Kris Srikkanth
Srikkanth further praised Harshit Rana for his batting exploits at a crucial time in the second ODI. The 23-year-old came into bat with India reeling at 223/7 in the 45th over and scored a quickfire 18-ball 24*.
His cameo helped India post a competitive 264 in their 50 overs on a tricky Adelaide surface.
“I’ll be honest, he really batted well today. What I liked was the way he cut the ball. He played like a middle-order batter, his shots. The partnership between him and Arshdeep Singh was very crucial. I thought the two of them got us to a winning position,” Srikkanth added.
The 24* was Harshit Rana’s highest score for India across formats in his 12th international outing.
—
### About the Author
**Venkatesh Ravichandran** has been writing cricket news, listicles, and feature articles for Sportskeeda for over a year. He loves cricket for its diversity and the unparalleled nuances no other sport presents. Venkatesh also enjoys the analytical and quantitative side of the sport, drawing from his MBA degree and 10 years of experience in the IT industry with companies like Infosys, Atos, and TCS.
He ensures thorough research from reliable sources and social media trends to gather information and adds his own dash of creativity to create insightful content. Venkatesh started watching cricket in the late 1990s, impressed by South Africa and New Zealand’s gentleman-like attitude. Domestically, he supports the Chennai Super Kings for their ability to bring out the best in players in a friendly and conducive team environment.
He admires Brian Lara for his batting style, AB de Villiers for changing the paradigm of batting, and MS Dhoni for his unique cerebral approach to field placing and batting. Apart from cricket, Venkatesh enjoys watching and playing tennis and basketball. In his free time, he finds pleasure in singing and watching movies and web series.
—
Stay updated with **IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings** on Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on the Mega Auction and cricket news.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-he-good-chance-player-match-kris-srikkanth-s-huge-take-harshit-rana-aus-vs-ind-2025-2nd-odi