India Release Pacer Harshit Rana from Squad Ahead of Second Test vs. England

Indian Pacer Released from Squad Ahead of Second Test Against England

Leeds: India's fast bowler Harshit Rana has been released from the Test squad before the second match of the five-Test series against England.

The young bowler, initially called up as a precautionary measure, was not seen boarding the bus with his teammates to Birmingham. The Indian squad departed from Leeds around 11:30 am local time, with an expected journey time of just over three hours to Birmingham.

The team is scheduled to rest for two days before resuming training in preparation for the second Test. Their aim is to level the series and move past the disappointment of the Headingley defeat.

Gautam Gambhir commented on Rana’s inclusion after India’s defeat in the first Test, stating that there was a slight niggle within the group, hence the need for a backup. He further added that if everyone remained fit, Rana would return.

India's defeat at Headingley was particularly noteworthy due to the team amassing 835 runs and recording five individual centuries. In fact, it marked the first instance in Test history where a team lost despite scoring five centuries in the match.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant (twice) all achieved centuries, but England successfully chased down a target of 371, securing a five-wicket victory on the final day.

Ben Duckett’s aggressive 149 provided the foundation for the record chase, with significant contributions from Crawley and Root. The total of 1673 runs scored by both teams is the highest ever recorded in a Test match between India and England.

India will face England in the second Test at Edgbaston on July 2.