This story was first published on ESPNcricinfo Hindi. Below is a translated version.
Harshit Rana rarely watches cricket on TV ever since he turned professional. However, when India last visited Australia for a Test series in 2020-21, he followed the matches closely and was very motivated by the team's win against the odds. He also told himself that if he ever got a chance to play in Australia, he would pull off something similar.
Three years later, Rana is set to be on an Australia-bound plane.
He is the third uncapped player in the 18-member Indian squad along with Abhimanyu Easwaran and Nitish Kumar Reddy. However, he has traveled with the India squad continuously since IPL 2024 and he hopes this experience will be handy for him on the tour.
After taking a five-wicket haul in the ongoing Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Assam in Delhi, Rana said, "I have been with the Indian team continuously since the IPL and I have learnt a lot of things there. This lesson is not only about cricket, but also about life, how a sportsperson advances in his career and life. Even as a cricketer, I have grown a lot by being with the Indian team."
After taking 19 wickets in 13 matches of IPL 2024 at an impressive average of 20.15, Rana was called up by the Indian team for the first time for the T20Is on the Zimbabwe tour. Although he didn't get a game there, he has remained with the Indian team since then. After Zimbabwe, he was also part of the ODI team that toured Sri Lanka and then got a place in the T20I squad against Bangladesh as well.
Rana was among the reserves for the first two Tests of India's ongoing home series against New Zealand, but received his maiden Test call-up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
"Only when the team was announced did I know I was going to Australia," Rana said. "But I had indications that I might be selected for the Australia tour because they had me with the team to prepare. Being selected for Australia tour is a big deal for me.
"The kind of competitive attitude I like to play cricket with on the field is very similar to Australia's. It was my father's dream that I play a Test against England sometime at Lord's, but I personally like Australia more. I am proud of myself, that my name came up for this tour."
Rana has already started preparing for the five-Test series. When he was released from the Indian team before the Pune Test, he returned to the domestic circuit registered his second first-class five-wicket haul in his 10th game in the format.
When he got the new ball on Saturday, he had the first three wickets with the batters caught behind or in the slips with his swing. Once the ball got old, he targeted the lower-order batters with short balls from around the wicket.
However, Rana knows that the challenges of catching the right length in Australia will be different, and he has also received tips from his senior bowlers for this.
"Recently when I was with the Indian team, I used to keep talking to Jassi [Jasprit Bumrah] and [Mohammed] Siraj bhaiya that if someday I get a chance to play there [in Australia], what should I do and what should I not do, which length will be right there and which is not. I have got an idea of all these things from both the bowlers and talking to them has helped me a lot."
However, the biggest advantage of being in the Indian camp for Rana was bowling to experienced batters like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the nets.
"I love bowling to both of them in the nets because they also bat with the same intent in the nets like they do in a match. So there is no scope for you to make a mistake or bowl ordinary to them. I also spoke to Virat bhaiyya and Rohit bhaiyya, so they just told me to focus on my length and I am trying the same thing here."
Advice from Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel has also come in handy for Rana, who has been told that every bowling session should have a single aspect the bowler can work on during the nets.
"Morne takes a lot of care about our bowling. He is completely involved with the bowlers and keeps watching who is doing what in the nets," Rana said. "He keeps telling us what we have to do next ball. It's a very good thing and then you also have an idea of what you should do on the next ball.
"The only thing he tells me is that every bowler should know what he wants to achieve with every practice session."
Rana, under head coach Gautam Gambhir, wants to taste the same success in international cricket that he achieved with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2024 IPL.
"Gambhir bhaiyya has always backed me and if I have to ask anything, I always go to him and talk to him and he always gives me the right guidance. Under him, I have grown a lot in the IPL and he has taught me a lot of things."