IND vs ENG: Added to India squad just ahead of Leeds Test, KKR seamer Harshit Rana sent home – Report

Just one day after India conceded the Leeds Test against England by five wickets, the touring team began making changes in the quest for getting back on track in this five-match Test series. Shubman Gill-led Indian Team took on the hosts at Headingley in the series opener, and despite having hit five centuries across both innings, they failed to capitalise on it. Though mediocre bowling, barring Jasprit Bumrah’s, and missed chances on the field led to this result, the team management decided to release India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) seamer Harshit Rana ahead of the second Test in Edgbaston starting next Wednesday (Jul 2).

A Times of India (TOI) report confirms that Rana, added to the side as the backup quick following the intra-squad game between the senior side and India-A, did not travel with the team to Birmingham, which left on Wednesday morning and is said to be released and sent home.

Although he hopped in as an injury cover for one of the seamers suffering a niggle, per team head coach Gautam Gambhir, his release came shortly after Rana’s former KKR mentor (Gautam) revealed all fast bowlers are fit and raring to go for the second Test starting in six days.

"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," Gambhir said earlier.

Meanwhile, Rana made his Test debut against Australia in the BGT opener late last year, picking Travis Head as his maiden Test wicket. He bagged two more in Perth, but never looked like threatening the Aussies across the remaining three innings he played on the tour. After India conceded the second Test in Adelaide, the management looked beyond him for the remainder of the tour.

‘Depth? Yes! Skill? No’

Barring Bumrah, who broke multiple records with his first-inning five-for in Leeds, neither of the pacers, including Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur, were anywhere close to backing up Bumrah with top-class bowling across two innings.

Besides them, India has two pacers waiting in the wings for their turns – uncapped left-armer Arshdeep Singh and Test specialist Akash Deep Singh. Seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy can also offer his medium pace should he get the chance on this tour.