India Squad Update: Harshit Rana Released Ahead of Second Test Against England in Birmingham

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

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

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 overcome the disappointment of the Headingley defeat.

Following India’s defeat in the first Test, Gautam Gambhir commented on Rana's inclusion: "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 loss at Headingley was notable, despite accumulating 835 runs and achieving five individual centuries. It marked the first instance in Test history of a team losing a match after scoring five centuries.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant (twice) all scored centuries, but England successfully chased down a target of 371, winning by five wickets on the final day.

Ben Duckett's aggressive 149 provided the foundation for the record chase, complemented by significant contributions from Crawley and Root. The combined 1673 runs scored by both teams represent the highest total in a Test match between India and England.

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