Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t present in Dharamshala, but it didn’t look like it. The ace pacer had asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to grant him some time off and returned home for personal reasons. As Arshdeep Singh weaved his swing magic, from the other end, we saw a pacer terrorising the batters in the India vs South Africa 3rd T20I.
It wasn’t Bumrah but Harshit Rana. However, the precision, control, and movement made everyone forget that it wasn’t a taller version of Bumrah we were witnessing. Harshit has always had the raw skills, and with time, his performance has improved. The Australia tour and now the South Africa series are showing just that.
Harshit Rana rocks South Africa in powerplay
After Arshdeep claimed Reeza Hendricks’ wicket in the first over, Harshit sent Quinton de Kock back to the pavillion from the other end. Considering the form the wicketkeeper batter was in, India were lucky he walked back early. Harshit pitched the ball a bit fuller and got swing off the deck. When he pulled his length back, he got movement off the surface as well.
He enticed Dewald Brevis with a full ball outside off and rattled his stumps in the second over. But there were several magic balls. A big inswinger to Tristan Stubbs, nearly saw him walk back, and Aiden Markram nearly chopped on a couple of times. With a little more luck, you might have had Harshit take at least one more wicket.
Harshit didn’t make Bumrah’s absence felt, and while Arshdeep displayed some of the best swing bowling, the tall pacer worked the batters out by pace, swing, bounce, and movement. A combination you rarely find, not just among Indian bowlers but worldwide.
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