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Alastair Cook questioned Harshit Rana and Shivam Dube are not a ‘like-for-like player’ as a concussion substitute.
IND vs ENG, 4th T20I: Harshit Rana replaced Shivam Dube as
‘concussion substitute’ (AP)
Former England captain Alastair Cook questioned match referee’s decision Javagal Srinath, during the 4th T20I between India and England, to allow Harshit Rana to replace Shivam Dube as a concussion substitute.
Fast bowler Harshit came in as a controversial concussion substitute for his T20 debut and returned figures of 3-33 in India’s 15-run win over England in the fourth T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday.
Hardik Pandya and Dube, a left-hand batsman, put on 87 for the sixth wicket to lift India from a precarious 79-5 to 181-9 after being invited to bat first in the fourth match in Pune.
Rana and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi then took three wickets each as India bowled out England for 166 to win by 15 runs for an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
According to ICC Guidelines, ‘The ICC match referee should ordinarily approve a concussion replacement request, if the player is a like-for-like player’.
“It had such a big impact on the game. Replacing a big-hitting batting all-rounder, who has bowled one over in the [2024] IPL, with a bowler who can’t bat and bowls heavy seam, makes no sense to me whatsoever.
“England still really should have won the game. They probably would have rather faced a pace bowler than a spinner, to be honest, but I still don’t understand it.
“India have Washington Sundar on the bench, who Dube replaced. but instead they bring in a heavy bowler, who bowls 140-odd [kmph]. It seems madness that you can do it,” Cook told TNT Sports.
ALSO READ | Jos Buttler Doesn’t Agree With India’s Decision, Says Rana For Dube ‘Not A Like-For-Like’ Concussion Sub
English captain Jos Buttler acknowledged that his side should have won the game regardless of the introduction of Rana but was still left baffled by the decision.
“We disagree with the decision. It’s not a like-for-like replacement. Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25 mph with the ball, or Harshit has really improved his batting. They had a like-for-like replacement in Ramandeep Singh, so we are quite confused as to how Harshit Rana was able to come into the game. We’ll ask Javagal [Srinath, the match referee] some questions.
“We had no consultation. As I came out to bat, I asked the umpire why Harshit was on the field and he said he’s the concussion sub which I was quite confused by.
“Maybe at the toss next game, I’ll say we’re going to play 12 as well. I still think we should have gone on to win the match but we disagree with the decision,” said Buttler in the post-match conference.
(With inputs from Agencies)
