IND vs ENG: Star India Cricketer Released From Squad As India Regroup Ahead Of 2nd Test: Report

IND vs ENG: As India prepare to bounce back in the second Test against England, young fast bowler Harshit Rana has been released from the squad.

According to a report from The Times of India, the Delhi pacer-initially brought in as a precaution-did not join the team on their bus journey from Leeds to Birmingham on Wednesday morning.

The Indian team departed Headingley around 11:30 AM local time and is expected to reach Birmingham within a little over three hours. With the second Test at Edgbaston starting on July 2, the players will take a short break before returning to training and resetting their focus after a frustrating loss in the series opener.

Rana's inclusion had sparked speculation following a reported niggle within the Indian camp, but head coach Gautam Gambhir offered clarity after the first Test: "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."

India's defeat at Headingley was both historic and perplexing. Despite posting a massive total across two innings-835 runs in all-and producing five individual centuries, India found themselves on the losing side. It marked the first time in Test history that a team with five centurions failed to win the match.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant (who scored twin tons) were all among the runs, setting England a challenging target of 371 in the fourth innings.

However, England's aggressive approach, led by Ben Duckett's fiery 149 and solid contributions from Zak Crawley and Joe Root, turned the tide. The chase was completed with five wickets in hand, wrapping up a dramatic finish that stunned the visitors.

The combined run tally of 1,673 across the match set a new benchmark for India-England Test encounters, highlighting both batting dominance and missed opportunities with the ball. As the series heads to Edgbaston, India will look to iron out their bowling plans and regain control-this time without the services of Harshit Rana.