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

India's Harshit Rana Released from Test Squad Ahead of Birmingham Showdown

Leeds: Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana has been released from the Test squad before 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. They will be aiming to level the series in the second Test and move past the disappointment of the Headingley defeat.

Following India's loss in the first Test, Gautam Gambhir commented on Rana's inclusion, 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 a strong batting performance with 835 runs and five individual centuries, has been a talking point. It marked a historic first in Test cricket, as the team lost despite achieving five centuries in a single 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 set the stage for the record chase, with significant contributions from Crawley and Root. The combined score of 1673 runs between both teams represents the highest ever in a Test match between India and England.

India is set to face England in the second Test at Edgbaston on July 2.