"He does not have a strength delivery" - Mohammad Kaif's massive remark on Team India bowler after AUS vs IND 2025 2nd ODI

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif admitted that he fails to understand what Harshit Rana's strong suit is, following his performance in the second ODI against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 24. The right-arm pacer ended with figures of 2-54 off his eight overs during the two-wicket loss that confirmed the Men in Blue's series defeat with a game to spare.

Harshit Rana was preferred in the playing XI over frontline pacer Prasidh Krishna for both matches in the series so far, as India emphasized their batting depth. The youngster was far from his best in the series opener in Perth as well, ending with figures of 0-27 off four overs in the rain-curtailed contest.

Mohammad Kaif noted how each Indian bowler has a particular strength delivery, whether it be Jasprit Bumrah's yorkers, or Mohammed Siraj's nip-backers. However, he noted how Rana is yet to exhibit such a strength delivery that could potentially trouble the opposition batters and assist the team.

"I'm following Harshit Rana a lot, but he does not have a strength delivery. It's not like he has a solid outswinger or an inswinger. When we speak about Siraj or Bumrah, they have their strengths, like their yorkers, pace, or slower ones. But I can't figure out what Harshit Rana's strength is. It's not like he bowls over 140. Play either one of Rana or Reddy, because both of them can't play together. Kuldeep Yadav sitting out for this is a clear injustice," Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube channel. "When the required rate is 9 or 10 runs per over, there Harshit Rana is effective because his strength is change of pace. But when batters are playing like Test cricket when the required rate is around 5 or 6 runs per over, the bowler has to bring more skills to outfox the batter when he is playing in 3rd gear," Kaif added.

Harshit Rana, along with the rest of the Indian seam bowling unit, struggled with cramps over the course of the contest. It remains to be seen how the trio holds up, with only a one-day break between the second and the third ODI of the series.

"If Kuldeep was in the team, I guarantee you 100 percent that India would have won this game" - Mohammad Kaif on Team India missing a frontline spinner in AUS vs IND 2025 2nd ODI

Team India stuck with the same playing XI that featured in the first ODI, meaning that Kuldeep Yadav had to settle for a place on the bench yet again. The frontline spinner could only watch from the sidelines as his counterpart Adam Zampa ran through the Indian batting unit to bag the player of the match award for his figures of 4-60.

Kaif believes that Kuldeep Yadav could have had a massive impact on the game against the likes of Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, and Mitchell Owen, who ended up winning the game for Australia.

"If Kuldeep was in the team, I guarantee you 100 percent that India would have won this game. When Zampa can come in and change the game by dismissing some big names, when there was grip and turn from the surface, then think what Kuldeep could have done against this inexperienced Australian middle order. This is a do-or-die match, you are not playing him, and Zampa, who was not even there in the last match, returned and took the man of the match. Kuldeep Yadav is a thousand times better bowler than Adam Zampa," Kaif opined.

Kuldeep Yadav has fond memories at the venue where the third ODI is scheduled to be played, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The wrist spinner bagged his maiden overseas five-wicket haul in Tests at the iconic stadium during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar series, and also picked three wickets in two white-ball matches that he has played there.

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Edited by Gokul Nair