Harshit Rana becomes first Indian bowler to take 3 wickets on debut across all formats

Indian pacer Harshit Rana etched his name in the record books during the first ODI against England at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Thursday, becoming the first Indian bowler to claim three or more wickets on debut across all three formats. He achieved this feat by finishing with figures of 3/53 in his seven-over spell, which included a maiden over.

Rana’s ODI debut had a rocky start when England’s Philip Salt took 26 runs off his third over, forcing the young pacer out of the attack after conceding 37 runs in his first three overs. However, he made a strong comeback in the latter half of his spell, claiming three crucial wickets while maintaining tighter control in his final four overs.

This landmark achievement adds to Rana’s impressive start in international cricket. He made his Test debut during the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia in Perth, where he took three wickets for 48 runs. Last month, he debuted in T20Is during the fourth match of the five-game series against England, coming in as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube. Despite the controversy surrounding his inclusion, he delivered a match-winning spell, finishing with 3/33 in four overs.

In his brief international career so far, Rana has played two Tests and one T20I before his ODI debut. He has taken four wickets in Tests at an average of 50.75, with best figures of 3/48. In T20Is, he holds an impressive bowling average of 11.00. His List-A career includes 14 matches, where he has taken 22 wickets at an average of 23.45, with best figures of 4/17.

England, after winning the toss and opting to bat first, started strongly with an explosive 75-run opening stand between Philip Salt (43 off 26 balls, five fours and three sixes) and Ben Duckett (32 off 29 balls, six fours). However, India struck back to reduce England to 111/4, with Joe Root (19) also falling cheaply. Skipper Jos Buttler (52 off 67 balls, four boundaries) and Jacob Bethell steadied the innings with a 59-run stand. After Buttler’s dismissal, Bethell reached his half-century, scoring 51 off 64 balls, including three fours and a six. A late cameo from Jofra Archer (21* off 18 balls, three fours and a six) pushed England’s total to 248 in 47.4 overs.

Ravindra Jadeja was India’s best bowler, finishing with figures of 3/26, while Rana also took three wickets, conceding 53 runs. Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with one wicket each.