3 reasons why India adding Harshit Rana to squad for 1st ENG vs IND 2025 Test is the wrong move

Right-arm pacer Harshit Rana is now a member of the Team India squad for the England tour as a last-minute addition. The bowler was added as cover after the warm-up matches ahead of the series opener in Headingley, Leeds, scheduled to begin on Friday, June 20.

Recently included in the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) central contract list in the 'C' bracket, he made his Test debut in Australia during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series. He actively continued to feature in international colors during the white-ball home series against England and the Champions Trophy.

"The Men's Selection Committee has added Harshit Rana to India's squad for the first Test in Leeds against England. Rana, who was a part of the India A squad has linked up with the team as India begin preparations for the first Test," BCCI's statement read.

On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why India adding the right-arm pacer to the squad for the 1st ENG vs IND 2025 Test is the wrong move.

#1 A backwards step

Team India have already made the Harshit Rana gamble, entrusting him over the likes of Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna, only for it to backfire rather spectacularly. The right-arm pacer was able to make a solid first impression on a spicy Perth track, but fizzled out with the pink ball in the next Test when India needed him the most.

He was unable to provide the support as the third seamer that Jasprit Bumrah needed after ending wicketless with an economy of 5.37. Considering that Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna troubled the Australian batters more than Rana did in the latter half of the series, proved that India had gotten their selection wrong initially.

Moreover, the fact that he was not initially selected for the England Tests, and has only been considered at the eleventh hour, shows that it is a massive step in the wrong direction. Had he been a vital, non-negotiable member, he would have been a part of the initial squad itself.

#2 Massive mismatch in skillset and conditions

Team India need bowlers who can swing the ball, and maintain their line and lengths as both an attacking and defensive option against the aggressive English side. Hitting the deck hard as Plan A might not work, and to make matters worse, Rana also tends to go astray with his bowling areas at times, which the opposition batters will capitalise on, especially if the surfaces are good for batting.

The same problem had plagued him during his last Test appearance at the Adelaide Oval. He could not find control with the pink ball, and the Australian batters did not spare him, fluently scoring to be comfortable in the first innings.

Although Prasidh Krishna has a similar 'hit the deck' skill set as Rana, instead of swing and extra pace like the rest of the bowling unit, he has much better control over his line and length and extracts bounce from the surface better.

#3 Harshit Rana being an asset to batting depth is not as lucrative as it seems

Considering Bumrah's limited availability and the fact that the series is five matches long, adding another pacer as cover is understandable. However, it is the choice by the team management that is baffling. Because selecting Harshit Rana on pure bowling merit makes little sense.

Anshul Kamboj is a candidate who had a solid 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, and also spirited outings against the England Lions recently, whereas Harshit Rana has neither. The only thing the right-arm pacer has over the likes of Anshul Kamboj and even Mukesh Kumar, for that matter, is his ability with the bat. Runs down the order could prove to be valuable for India, who have a long tail after No.7 or No.8 in the batting order.

Much has been made of the player's batting credentials, with an all-rounder tag attached to his name, but not much of it has been on show. India already have the option to play multiple all-rounders in Thakur and Reddy, if needed to balance both batting and bowling, and maintain depth. The addition of the pacer, if due to his batting potential, again, seems illogical.

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Edited by Gokul Nair