During the fourth T20I match between India and England in Pune, a controversial decision to replace Shivam Dube with Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute sparked a debate among cricket enthusiasts and experts. Dube, who had scored 53 off 34 balls, was struck on the helmet twice and had to leave the field due to concussion symptoms. India’s decision to bring in medium-pacer Harshit Rana, who was making his T20I debut, was questioned by England captain Jos Buttler.
Jos Buttler’s Perspective on the Replacement
Buttler argued that Rana was not a like-for-like replacement for Dube, as Dube is an all-rounder while Rana is a specialist bowler. Buttler expressed his displeasure, stating that it was not a fair substitution and that England should have had a say in the matter. He believed that the decision gave India an unfair advantage, as they were now bolstered by a fresh bowler without the equivalent batting replacement.
“It is not a like-for-like replacement. We don’t agree with that,” Buttler told the reporters. “Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25 mph with the ball or Harshit’s really improved his batting. It’s part of the game and we really should have gone on to win the match, but we disagree with the decision.”
Jos Buttler has had his say on the like-for-like concussion replacement controversy 👀
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Match Referee’s Decision
Despite Buttler’s protests, the match referee approved the substitution. According to Rule 1.2.7.3 of the ICC, only like-for-like replacements can be named as concussion substitutes. However, Rule 1.2.7.7 states that the decision of the ICC Match Referee is final, and in this case, Javagal Srinath, the match referee, approved Harshit as the replacement.
Impact on the Match
Harshit Rana’s debut turned out to be remarkable as he took crucial wickets, ending with impressive figures of 3-33. His performance played a pivotal role in India’s victory, as they managed to defend their total and win the match by 15 runs, thus clinching the series 3-1.
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