India's Harshit Rana Released from Squad Ahead of Second Test Against England

India's Harshit Rana Released from Test Squad Ahead of Second England Clash

Leeds: Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana has been released from the Test squad prior to the second match of the five-Test series against England.

The young pacer, initially called up as a precautionary measure, was not seen boarding the bus to Birmingham with the rest of his teammates. The Indian squad departed from Leeds around 11:30 am local time and is anticipated to arrive in Birmingham in just over three hours.

The team is scheduled to rest for the next two days before resuming training in preparation for the second Test. They will be aiming to level the series and overcome the disappointment of the Headingley defeat.

Following India’s loss in the first Test, Gautam Gambhir had mentioned Rana, stating, "I haven't spoken to the chairman selector; I will speak to the chairman of selectors because there was a bit of a niggle in the group. That is why we wanted him as a backup." He further added, "But at the moment, everything looks fine, so if everyone is fine, he would have to fly back.”

India's defeat at Headingley, despite amassing a total of 835 runs and recording five individual centuries, has been a talking point due to its unprecedented nature. This marked the first instance in Test history where a team lost despite achieving the feat of scoring five centuries in a single match.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant (twice) all achieved centuries, but England managed a remarkable chase of 371, securing a five-wicket victory on the final day. Ben Duckett’s aggressive 149 laid the foundation for the record-breaking chase, with significant contributions from Crawley and Root. The combined 1673 runs scored between both teams represent the highest ever in a Test match between India and England.

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