Harshit Rana to make Test debut, stepping in for Jasprit Bumrah in India's XI to thwart New Zealand

India is feeling the sting of their recent home defeat. Captain Rohit Sharma may have publicly downplayed the loss, but behind closed doors, he is determined to turn things around and avoid a repeat of the disastrous series against South Africa 24 years ago. In a bid to shake things up and change their fortunes, India has made a surprising addition to their squad for the upcoming match against New Zealand. Delhi pacer Harshit Rana has been quietly brought into the team and is expected to make his debut at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday. Critics may call it a desperate move, but India is determined to fight back and come out on top in the final match.

Harshit Rana's stocks have risen rapidly ever since Gautam Gambhir took over as India's head coach after the T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year. The right-arm pacer has been knocking on the doors ever since impressing Gambhir for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024. Gambhir knows Rana’s game well, having coached him at KKR this season. The pacer had a fine IPL, striking crucial blows to claim 19 wickets in KKR’s triumph. His ability to surprise the batters with extra pace and bounce from the good length area is what gives him the edge. Rana is also considerably quicker than all his close competitors knocking at the doors

But for an untimely health issue, he would have made his T20I debut against Bangladesh. The wait, however, is set to come to an end as the Indian team management is considering handing him the Test cap in Mumbai. If it’s a normal Wankhede pitch, India will opt for a three-man pace attack and so Rana comes in. If they stick to three spinners and two pacers, there’s a case for Jasprit Bumrah to be rested or the all-rounder coming in for Akash Deep.

India have a difficult choice to make as far as the nature of the pitch is concerned. They lost the first Test in Bengaluru due to the seaming conditions. When they turned to a spin-friendly track in Pune, their batters capsized in front of Mitchell Santner. The chances of treating the Pune defeat as a one-off, however, are greater as India are likely to opt for another spin-friendly pitch. If that is the case, then it might not be a bad idea to rest Bumrah, who has played the last four Tests at home without a break.

After the last-minute inclusion of all-rounder Washington Sundar clicked – he took 11 wickets in the second Test – India are looking to make a similar move by getting a pace-bowling all-rounder for the third Test, adding Harshit Rana to the squad.

With India suffering regular batting collapses, bowlers who can bat are the first choice. Rohit and Gambhir are on the same page on adding depth in batting.

The Wankhede pitch will have something for the pacers with extra bounce and Rana could make his Test debut. After his fine all-round display (59 and a match haul of 7 wickets) in hosts Delhi’s Ranji Trophy win against Assam on Tuesday, the team management will be hoping he makes an instant impact like Washington, who too was included immediately after a solid Ranji show for Tamil Nadu against Delhi.

Rana is also in the 18-member squad for the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, part of a six-man seam attack spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah. It will be a good opportunity for the team management to assess Rana at the international level.