Abhishek Sharma reveals why Harshit Rana was promoted in the batting order in the 2nd T20I vs Australia

Indian opening batter Abhishek Sharma has revealed the actual reason why Harshit Rana was promoted up the batting order. Notably, Harshit came in to bat at No.7 ahead of Shivam Dube in the second T20I against Australia in Melbourne.

Interestingly, Rana went on to score 35 runs in 33 balls with three fours and a six, batting at No. 7. Speaking in the post-match press conference, Abhishek Sharma revealed that Rana often hits him for sixes in the nets. Moreover, he felt that the left-right combination could do wonders in the middle and death overs.

"Harshit can bat. He hits me for sixes in the nets. He was only told to play normally. He was aware of the situation and he wanted to bat deep. If Harshit hangs in, the right-left combination remains. That is why he was promoted over Shivam Dube, On this wicket, you needed the right-left combination. He batted well," Abhishek said during the post-match press conference.

Furthermore, the Indian opener also asserted that he has clear communication from the captain, Suryakumar Yadav, and the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, on his aggressive approach in the shortest format of the game.

"For the approach that we take, you need to be consistent. If I give aggressive starts consistently, it gives the middle order time. I want to put the bowlers under pressure. When I came back in the team, the support from Suryakumar and Gautam Gambhir was there. The captain and coach are very clear what they want," Abhishek concluded.

India suffered a four-wicket defeat in the second T20I as Australia bagged a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series. The third T20I will be played at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Sunday, November 2.

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