India Fast Bowler Released From Squad After Humiliating Loss In 1st Test

Young speedster Harshit Rana, who was added as a cover to the Indian squad for the opening Test against England at Leeds, has been released by the team management on Wednesday. Rana, who played two Tests in Australia with modest results, was a part of India A squad but hardly made an impact in the unofficial Test against England Lions in Canterbury where he was hit for 99 runs for a solitary wicket in 27 overs. "Harshit Rana has been released from the squad. He hasn't travelled with the Indian squad to Birmingham for the second Test starting July 4," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. The 23-year-old Rana, a protege of head coach Gautam Gambhir, is a bustling hit-the-deck bowler who hit the headlines with a lovely off-cutter which breached Travis Head's defence in Perth.

However, over time it has been evident that he is not ready to play top flight red-ball cricket and is a work in progress.

That Harshit, and not a far more potent Mukesh Kumar or Anshul Kamboj were kept as cover, was a big surprise since the Delhi man's bowling is unsuitable for these conditions.

"Harshit Rana, I will discuss with chairman of selectors. He was held back because of some niggles... everything is fine. I will discuss, and we will then take that call," Gambhir said after India lost the opening Test by five wickets. 

Experts have cried out for Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion in the series opener and now he is most likely to replace Shardul with the surface expected to aid the spinners in Birmingham..

"Kuldeep needs to be there. There is no point playing with four pacers. Either of Shardul or Prasidh can make way for him," former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar told PTI.

There is a tendency to play with four pace options in England but with dry conditions expected for the majority of the English summer, there is a case of playing Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja in the same eleven.

Having said that, Jadeja too will under the scanner having not gotten a lot out of the rough on day five at Headingley.

"Kuldeep Yadav has to come back. I'm sorry to say, but Shardul Thakur has to go out," former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said on JioStar.

"That is one change India will have to make. As for Nitish Kumar Reddy -- I backed him for the first Test purely based on what he did in Australia.

"It's an unpopular choice, because when he comes in, the balance does get affected a bit. He won't quite bowl like a fourth seamer, so India need to take a hard call: even in English conditions, they must go with quality bowlers. If that means playing two spinners, so be it." 

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