Following India's defeat to England in the first Test of the five-match series at Headingley, Leeds, pacer Harshit Rana has been released from the squad. Rana, who was initially brought in as a backup, did not travel with the team to Birmingham for the second Test.
The decision to send Rana back comes after India's disappointing performance in the first Test, where they lost by five wickets despite scoring over 800 runs and having four centurions in the match. England chased down a target of 371 with relative ease, exposing the weaknesses in India's bowling attack.
Harshit Rana had been with the India A side playing against England Lions and was asked to stay back with the main squad as a precautionary measure. According to reports, head coach Gautam Gambhir alluded to Rana's release, stating that the pacer was initially kept as a backup due to a "niggle" within the group. However, with everyone seemingly fit, Rana would have to return home.
Rana's Test debut came during India's tour of Australia, where he played two matches and took four wickets at an average of 50.75. Despite showing promise, he was ultimately dropped from the squad for the England series.
In the first Test against England, only Jasprit Bumrah managed to make a significant impact, taking five wickets in England's first innings. The other bowlers, including Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur, struggled with consistency in their line and length, failing to apply sustained pressure on the English batsmen. Ravindra Jadeja also had a quiet outing, picking up only one wicket across both innings.
India's bowling woes were further compounded by poor fielding, with Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping multiple catches that proved costly. The team's inability to capitalize on opportunities and maintain pressure allowed England to dominate the chase and secure a 1-0 lead in the series.
The release of Harshit Rana suggests that the team management is looking at other options to bolster the pace attack for the remaining Tests. While the specifics haven't been disclosed, India will aim to regroup and address the shortcomings exposed in the first Test. The second Test is scheduled to begin on July 2nd in Birmingham.
