'I bowl faster than you' - Mitchell Starc engages in fun banter with Harshit Rana on Day 2

Mitchell Starc top-scored for Australia in the first innings as his 26 off 112 balls helped the hosts get to the three-figure mark on Day 2 of the first Test against India at the Optus Stadium in Perth, on Saturday, November 23. Harshit Rana had an excellent outing with the ball on his Test debut as the Delhi pacer caused a lot of problems for the Aussie batters with his ability to extract substantial bounce because of his tall frame.

In his second over on Day 2, Rana bowled a short-of-a-length delivery that generated extra bounce from the surface. Starc was surprised by the bounce but the edge fell short of the second slip fielder. As Rana turned back and started walking to his mark, Starc told the youngster that he bowls faster than him and also has a long memory.

"Harshit, I bowl faster than you, Harshit. I have got a long memory," the veteran Aussie seamer cheekily said.

To this, Rana responded to Mitchell Starc's comments with a wry smile. The two players have represented Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season and helped the Shreyas Iyer-led side lift the coveted title. Their camaraderie was on display on the field and the video went viral in no time.

Check out the banter between Harshit Rana and Mitchell Starc here:

Harshit Rana bags three-for on debut

Jasprit Bumrah was the star of the show with the ball for India as the ace pacer took four wickets on Day 1 of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25) opener. Besides, he also added one more to his kitty on Saturday to register his 11th five-for. After India were bowled out for a paltry 150 in the first innings, it was imperative for their bowlers to come out all guns blazing.

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While Bumrah wreaked havoc with his pace and bounce, he needed support from the other end. Rana provided just that as he finished with figures of 3/48 in 15.2 overs. Mohammed Siraj also picked up a couple of wickets as the Aussies were bowled out for 104, giving India a crucial 46-run lead.