NEW DELHI: Indian bowler Harshit Rana, who has quickly established himself with international debuts in all three formats, gave veteran speedster Jasprit Bumrah credit for helping him develop his consistency and versatility at the highest level.
Before making his T20I and ODI debuts in the just finished white-ball series against England, the 23-year-old got his Test cap during the coveted Border-Gavaskar series in December.
Rana had the chance to share the dressing room with Bumrah, one of the current greats, while India was touring Australia.
“I get a lot of benefit from working with Jassi bhai. He has a lot of experience. He always guided me on how to bowl in which format,” Rana told reporters after India’s six-wicket win over Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy on Thursday.
“We used to talk about Test matches in Australia and also about different formats. I got a lot of benefit from that… We often discussed Test matches in Australia and also about various other formats. One thing I have picked up from him is consistency.”
Rana also gave credit to Morne Morkel, the bowling coach for India, for helping him improve his line and length in particular.
“I have learned a great deal from him. He has worked extensively on improving my line and length,” he added.
Rana shared the new-ball duties with veteran Mohammed Shami against Bangladesh after being selected for India’s Champions Trophy opener ahead of the more seasoned left-arm bowler Arshdeep Singh.
“Yes of course there is backing from the coach and captain, that is why I am playing.”
The Delhi speedster r expressed gratitude for his well-earned opportunity after reflecting on his career.
“I have trained very hard. I did not get the opportunity initially but waited for my chance. I always gave my 100 per cent in practice, and always thought to deliver whenever given a chance.”
Rana is keen to maintain his momentum going into India’s eagerly awaited match against Pakistan on Sunday after taking three wickets against Bangladesh, which gave him more confidence.
“I will take today’s momentum forward. Of course, there’s always a lot of hype around an India-Pakistan game, but we are treating it like any other match,” he said.
