 "Indian players celebrate after taking a wicket in a match. Image: AFP")
A day after India lost the first Test against England at Headingley, young pacer Harshit Rana has reportedly been released from the squad. According to a report by The Times of India, Rana did not travel with the rest of the Indian team to Birmingham, where the second Test will be played from 2 July.
Harshit Rana released from India squad
The rest of the team reportedly left Leeds by bus around 11:30 am local time on Wednesday, but Rana stayed back and is slated to fly back home. This move comes after India head coach Gautam Gambhir suggested that Rana may not stay with the squad for the rest of the tour.
“I haven’t spoken to the chairman of selectors yet; I will speak to him because there was a bit of a niggle in the group. That is why we wanted Harshit as a backup. But at the moment, everything looks fine, so if everyone is fit, he would have to fly back,” Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.
Also Read: Ben Stokes speaks on reinventing Bazball and beating India at Headingley: ‘We chose our moments’
Rana was a late addition to the main squad, joining just a couple of days before the first Test at Headingley. He was originally part of the India A team that played two first-class games against the England Lions. After those matches, he was asked to stay back with the senior squad as a backup pacer.
Rana did not feature in the playing XI for the first Test, which India lost by five wickets despite scoring five centuries. This was the first time in Test cricket history that a team lost after scoring five tons in a game. Ben Duckett played a superb knock in the final innings to help his team chase down 371-run target with ease.
India made a lot of mistakes in the game, especially in the bowling and fielding departments. In batting too, India suffered two lower-order collapses, which prevented them from posting big totals in both innings. All eyes will now b e on Gill and his boys as they look to make a comeback at Edgbaston.