Young bowler Harshit Rana, who was brought in as a backup for India’s first Test against England at Leeds, has been released by the team management. Rana, who played two Tests in Australia with not-so-great results, didn’t make much of an impact in an unofficial match against England Lions in Canterbury, where he gave away 99 runs while taking just one wicket in 27 overs.
A BCCI source said, “Harshit Rana has been released from the squad. He hasn’t traveled with the Indian team to Birmingham for the second Test starting July 4.” At 23, Rana, who is trained by head coach Gautam Gambhir, is known for his hit-the-deck bowling style and once made headlines with an impressive off-cutter that knocked out Travis Head’s wicket in Perth. Still, it looks like he’s not quite ready for top-level red-ball cricket and has some work to do.
It was surprising that Rana was chosen over more experienced bowlers like Mukesh Kumar or Anshul Kamboj, given that his bowling isn’t well-suited for these conditions. After India lost the first Test, Gambhir mentioned, I’ll talk to the chairman of selectors. He didn’t play because of some small issues, but everything is fine now.
Experts are calling for Kuldeep Yadav to be included in the next match and he’s likely to replace Shardul, especially since the pitch in Birmingham is expected to support spinners. Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar said, “Kuldeep needs to be in. There’s no reason to go with four pace bowlers. Either Shardul or Prasidh should step aside for him.” While it’s common to go with four pace options in England, the dry weather this summer suggests that having both Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja in the team could work.
Jadeja, too, is under scrutiny after not getting much assistance from the pitch on the fifth day at Headingley. Sanjay Manjrekar added, “Kuldeep Yadav has to come back. I’m sorry to say, but Shardul Thakur has to go out.” He also mentioned that Nitish Kumar Reddy was backed for the first Test based on his performance in Australia, noting that while it may not be the most popular choice, India needs to focus on quality bowlers, even if it means playing two spinners.