India have suffered a humiliating defeat in what was a rain-interrupted start-stop affair in the first match of the ODI series at the Optus Stadium in Perth. What was touted to be a grand affair with India’s two superstars, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, returning to action turned out to be a disappointing show from the team as they conceded a 1-0 lead in the series.
Notably, Australia won the toss ahead of the game and put India to bat. The Indian team failed to show the resilience that the challenging conditions demanded. In what turned out to be an innings affected by multiple rain spells, India managed to post 136/9 in their allotted 26 overs. The target was adjusted to 131 for Australia via DRS. The two stars, Rohit and Kohli, scored 8 off 14 and 0 off 6, respectively.
In the bowling effort, Arshdeep Singh gave hope by dismissing Travis Head early. However, the rest of the bowling attack looked flat, and Australia managed to chase down the target rather easily with seven wickets in hand and 29 balls remaining in the game. Even though the whole bowling attack looked out of depth, Harshit Rana got the biggest criticism from the fans.
There have been plenty of talks around Harshit Rana’s selection for the series. Many fans linked his being part of the KKR set-up as the only reason for selection. Now that he failed to deliver when presented with the chance, the fans and the critics got a chance to question the decision and the credibility of the player. Harshit Rana got a spell of four overs during the game, and he conceded 27 runs in them while failing to pick up a wicket.
Fans tear down on Harshit Rana
{{/usCountry}}There have been plenty of talks around Harshit Rana’s selection for the series. Many fans linked his being part of the KKR set-up as the only reason for selection. Now that he failed to deliver when presented with the chance, the fans and the critics got a chance to question the decision and the credibility of the player. Harshit Rana got a spell of four overs during the game, and he conceded 27 runs in them while failing to pick up a wicket.
Fans tear down on Harshit Rana
{{/usCountry}}India would have to gather themselves quickly and refocus as a defeat in the next match would mean the series slipping away. The second game of the three-match ODI series will be played in Adelaide on the 23rd of October. The match will be a crucial one for the whole team, but more so for Harshit Rana as he would have to prove himself as a part of the big stage.