India's Harshit Rana Released from Squad Ahead of Second England Test Following Headingley Loss

India take on England (AP Photo)

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

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

The team is scheduled to rest for the next two days before resuming training. They will be focusing on leveling the series in the second Test and overcoming the disappointment of their defeat at Headingley.

Gautam Gambhir commented on Rana's inclusion after India’s first Test defeat, 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.”

“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. This marked the first instance in Test history where a team lost despite scoring 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 laid the foundation for the record chase, with significant contributions from Crawley and Root. The total of 1673 runs scored by both teams represents the highest aggregate in a Test match between India and England.

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