Jasprit Bumrah hails Harshit Rana, Nitish Reddy for fearless attitude in Perth Test

Skipper Jasprit Bumrah was highly impressed by the fearless attitude and maturity of Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy, saying he never got the feeling that the two youngsters were playing in Australia for the first time. Their selection was viewed with raised eyebrows in the run-up to the first Test in Perth, but they silenced the doubters, chipping in their own way in India’s massive 295-run win over the Aussies.

“When they made their debut, the biggest positive sign was that they were not nervous at all. It didn't feel like they were playing for the first time in Australia or it was their first match,” Bumrah said in the post-match press conference here on Monday.

Rana took the prized wicket of Travis Head in the first innings with a gem of a delivery and was even not hesitant to exchange a few words with veteran Mitchell Starc, despite them being team-mates at the Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL 2024. Nitish made nerveless 41 and 38 across two innings here, knocks that belied his lack of sufficient exposure in First-Class cricket.

“If you are scared, then your fear will not go away. So, that is a very positive sign for me that they are not afraid and have a lot of desire to learn.

"They have started very well and hopefully, they will do well in the future as well,” added Bumrah.

The pace talisman said the two young players were more than happy to handle the responsibility once they were informed of their debut.

“They themselves were looking for responsibility. When you talk to them… they are more than ready. They were looking for responsibility. So, that is a very positive sign for our team.

“All the youngsters who are coming (in), they are very hungry. They have a lot of faith in their ability. So, if that happens, then you can learn skills,” he said.

Similarly, Yashasvi Jaiswal was also playing his first Test Down Under but the left-hander left an indelible impression with a remarkable 161. Bumrah said it was the best Test innings in Jaiswal’s fledgling career because the 22-year-old showed a lot of self-restraint.

“If I had to choose a man of the match, I would choose Jaiswal. I think this was his best Test knock so far because, you know, he has an attacking nature. But in that second innings, he left certain balls, he took his time and batted deep. That gives us a lot of confidence.

“He showed that he has patience as well and he's ready to adapt and change. That is a brilliant sign for Indian cricket that a batsman is able to adapt so early in his career,” said Bumrah.

The 30-year-old also did not forget the role KL Rahul played as an opener. The right-hander made an obdurate 26 off 74 balls in the first innings before getting out to a dubious caught-behind decision, and a more fluent 77 off 176 balls in the second while sharing 201 runs with Jaiswal for the first wicket.

“He had settled well in the first innings, looked very assured, and in the second innings set the platform. I'm very happy. He looked very composed.

“He was looking quite confident and played his shots in the second innings. It was an ideal Test innings,” he added. PTI UNG 7/21/2024 DDV