India Squad Update: Fast Bowler Released Ahead of Second Test Against England in Birmingham

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 bowler, initially called up as a precautionary measure, was not seen boarding the bus to Birmingham with the rest of the Indian team. The team departed from Leeds around 11:30 am local time and was expected to reach Birmingham in approximately three hours.

The team will rest for two days before resuming training ahead of the second Test. They will aim to level the series after their defeat at Headingley.

Following India's loss 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 defeat at Headingley, despite a strong batting performance including 835 runs and five centuries, has been a talking point. It marked the first instance in Test history where a team lost despite scoring five centuries in the same 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 between 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.