NEW DELHI: Young India pacer Harshit Rana was at his absolute best on Sunday as his fiery spell triggered a big middle-order collapse for Prime Minister’s XI on the second day of the warm-up game in Canberra.
In a terrific display of fast bowling with a moving pink ball, Harshit picked up four wickets in span of just 6 balls as Prime Ministers XI nosedived after being comfortably placed at 131 for 2.
Harshit, who came into the attack in the 15th over of the innings, initially leaked runs but then turned things upside down in the 23rd and 25th overs.
Prime Minister’s XI were moving steadily at 131 for 2 but Harshit’s four-wicket burst across two overs saw them slump to 133 for six.
Jack Clayton, who was batting on 40, became Harshit’s first victim as he was knocked over off the fourth ball of the 23rd over.
The 22-year-old pacer then cleaned up Oliver Davies for a two-ball duck as PMXI read 131 for 4 at the end of the 23rd over.
Harshit then returned in the 25th over to get rid of Jack Edwards in the first-ball of the over. As Harshit dug in a short ball, Edwards went for the pull but ended up mistiming the shot straight down the throat of Prasidh Krishna at long leg for 1.
The fourth wicket for Harshit came a ball later when Sam Harper was dismissed in a similar fashion. As Harshit fired in another short ball, Harper went for an audacious pull but ended up handing a straightforward catch to Prasidh Krishna at long leg.
With the departure of Harper for a two-ball duck, PMXI found themselves reeling at 133 for six.
In the very next over Prasidh dismissed Aidan O Connor for 4 as the PMXI further slumped to 138 for 7.
Earlier, Rohit Sharma-led India won the toss and decided to bowl against Jack Edwards’s Prime Minister’s XI in the two-day warm-up match at the Manuka Oval.
After the opening day was completely washed out, rain played spoilsport on the second day as well as the 50-over game was reduced to a 46-over-a-side contest.
With the warm-up game, India are preparing for the Pink-ball Test that starts from December 6 in Adelaide.
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