Mumbai: In a move which will reinforce India’s pace attack, fast bowler Harshit Rana has been asked by the team management to stay back with the Indian Test team in England, a source confirmed to TOI. Rana was with the India ‘A’ team in England to play two four-day matches against the England Lions and an intra-squad game against the Test team in Beckenham. However, Rana has not been officially added to the squad as yet. One reason for this decision could be that the pitch for the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, bears a lush green look, which means that a bowler like Rana, who can generate pace and bounce, might prove to be handy in those conditions. Also, India’s leading bowler, premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah is expected to not play all five Tests due to workload management.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Rana played the first match for India A against England Lions at Canterbury, where he returned figures of 1/99 in 27 overs and scored 16 runs.
He made his Test debut during last year’s tour of Australia where he took four wickets in two Tests at an average of 50.75, his best being three for 48 in Perth on debut. He wasn’t picked for the five-match series against England as the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, preferred Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna along with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.The other members of the India ‘A’ team who aren’t in the main Test side or haven’t landed a County deal yet will be on the flight back home on Tuesday.Overall, the Delhi pacer averages 27.79 with the ball in 13 first-class cricket games, having taken 48 wickets. He also averages 32.80 with the bat, including hitting a century and two fifties.The Delhi speedster broke into the Indian team after a splendid show for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024, when current India head coach Gautam Gambhir was the franchise’s mentor.
