AUS vs IND | Twitter in awe as promoted Rana flips script on escalating pressure with gigantic six at MCG

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ByGantavya Adukia, SportsCafe Editor

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Patience is an emotion little understood in a country like India fuelled by emotion, especially when it comes to their one uniting love cricket. Harshit Rana was the latest victim of such intolerance but the all-rounder went a long way in winning back some favour with a crucial knock at the MCG.

India's batting tumbled on a spicy deck at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the second T20I against Australia on Friday as a riveting new-ball Josh Hazlewood spell left them reeling at 49/5 in the eighth over. Abhishek Sharma emerged as the only sign of hope as he motored along at the other end unbothered by all the chaos, smashing seven fours and a maximum in a 23-ball half-century. However, the opener was quickly running out of partners and needed someone to string along, when the Gautam Gambhir-led backroom staff decided to promote Harshit Rana up the order over Shivam Dube. The bowling all-rounder had had his place in the Indian set-up widely questioned in recent times but when the chance arrived to prove his worth, the youngster grabbed it with aplomb and delivered a statement blow in the 15th over.

Harshit began quietly, managing just 12 off his first 15 balls, before a couple of boundaries caught him up with speed. However, the 23-year-old was still struggling to rotate strike with the Kookaburra bouncing and seaming sharply, culminating in just two runs of the first four balls of Marcus Stoinis' third over. Abhishek was growing increasingly frustrated at the oother end, seeing which Harshit decided he had enough. The pacer did well to anticipate Stoinis' short delivery as he quickly cleared his front leg, and with one clean swipe sent the white rock sailing over long-on and deep into the crowd.

Harshit eventually departed for 35 off 33, vitally forming a 56-run stand with Abhishek while no other batter crossed into double digits. Twitterati was in uproar.

No problem!

Massive

He loved it

He knew

Smashed

Big one

Brute power

Impressive

Boom boom

Smile says it all

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