India's Squad Trimmed: Fast Bowler Released Ahead of Must-Win Second Test vs. 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 team bus to Birmingham with his teammates. The Indian squad departed from Leeds around 11:30 am local time, with an expected journey time of just over three hours to Birmingham.

The team is scheduled to rest for two days before resuming training in preparation for the second Test. Their aim is to level the series and recover from the setback at Headingley.

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 defeat at Headingley, despite a strong batting performance amassing 835 runs and featuring five individual centuries, was unexpected. It marked a historic first in Test cricket, 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 set the foundation for the record-breaking chase, complemented by substantial contributions from Crawley and Root. The combined total of 1673 runs between the two teams represents the highest ever in a Test match between India and England.

India will face England in the second Test at Edgbaston on July 2.