Harshit Rana hit with 26-run humbling on ODI debut but returns in kind straightaway, gets dangerous duo within 4 balls

Harshit Rana dismissed two England batters in an over to put the visitors on backfoot in Nagpur. He added a third to finish with figures of 3-53 in 7 overs.

Harshit Rana’s ODI debut against England on Thursday saw an early redemption for the bowler during the opening overs. The young pacer, who had previously featured in Test and T20I formats, was given the nod over Arshdeep Singh for the opening match of the series in Nagpur. The decision raised eyebrows, and the initial stages of his debut suggested that the 24-year-old might not yet be ready for the 50-over format.

Harshit Rana celebrates the dismissal of England's Ben Duckett during the first one day international cricket match between India and England(AP)

In just his third over, Rana found himself on the receiving end of a brutal assault from England’s explosive opener, Phil Salt. The batter launched into Rana with utter disdain, smacking him for 26 runs in an over – three sixes and two fours – leaving the bowler rattled.

After the onslaught, Rana was taken out of the attack. However, fate had more in store for the debutant.

A few overs later, a mix-up between Salt and his partner Ben Duckett led to Salt’s run out at 43, providing Rana with a chance to redeem himself. Captain Rohit Sharma seized the moment, bringing Rana back into the attack, and the decision quickly proved to be a masterstroke.

Rana, now refreshed, responded in spectacular fashion. He exploited Duckett’s nerves, who had just been involved in the run out, and delivered a perfect short-pitched delivery. Duckett, attempting a pull shot, could only manage a top-edge that soared into the air.

What followed was a sensational fielding effort from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who sprinted from mid-wicket and executed a flawless dive to pouch it cleanly.

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But Rana wasn’t done yet. Merely two balls later, he struck again, this time removing Harry Brook with a fiery 143kph delivery that reared up off the surface. Brook, expecting a low ball down the leg side, was caught off guard by the extra bounce. His gloves failed to evade the delivery, and wicketkeeper KL Rahul completed a neat catch behind the stumps.

From leaking 37 runs in just three overs – one of which was a maiden – to taking two crucial wickets in quick succession, Harshit Rana turned his debut around dramatically.

Rana would return in the middle overs, and pick up another crucial wicket as his pace and bounce troubled the dangerous Liam Livingstone. The English batter feathered an edge through to KL Rahul in the 36th over of the innings, which ensured that the visitors couldn't set the stage for late-innings fireworks.

On debut, Rana finished with figures of 3/53 from his seven overs, his crucial wickets helping India bowl out England for 248 runs.

Earlier, England captain Jos Buttler had won the toss and opted to bat in Nagpur. For India, Rana isn't the only debutant; Yashasvi Jaiswal also made his ODI debut in the game, with Virat Kohli being forced to miss the match due to a knee injury.