New Delhi: A cricketing miscalculation occurred during implementation of the concussion substitute rule in India’s win against England during the fourth T20I in Pune.
Harshit Rana replaced injured India batter Shivam Dube an took 3/33 on debut to help India win the match by 15 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-game series.
Since Rana wasn’t a like-for-like substitution for Dube, who has struck in the head by Jamie Overton after completing a half century, Ashwin questioned how the substitution was allowed by match officials.
“The game is done. India capture yet another series at home. T20I has been a real juggernaut of a win. But my first question is, did we forgot it was an international game and played an IPL match?,” Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube channel ‘Ash ki baat’.
“Because today all the discussion was on how Harshit Rana became Shivam Dube’s concussion sub? I can understand it has happened in the past too. In Canberra, Yuzvendra Chahal replaced Ravindra Jadeja.
“You can call poetic justice, or in fact poetic injustice. I don’t understand it. At least earlier, Chahal replaced Jadeja. Here, Harshit Rana replaced Shivam Dube.”
‘Impact player’
As per ICC guidelines, a concussion substitute should be a like-for-like replacement but Rana isn’t a batter like Dube, who is often used as an ‘impact player’ by Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
England were unhappy with the decision. Their skipper Jos Buttler said they weren’t consulted and wanted clarity from match referee Javagal Srinath on implementation of the rule.
India had Ramandeep Singh, who Ashwin believes would have been a more appropriate concussion substitute for Dube.
“There is no role of the Indian or England team. If there is no one in the squad, then you can say that Harshit Rana can bat a bit and Shivam Dube can bowl a bit, that’s why we brought him in. Like-for-like replacement Ramandeep Singh was sitting outside. I don’t understand,” the former off-spinner said.
“This is a case of pure cricketing miscalculation, either on the part of the umpires or the part of the match referee or whoever be it. Ramandeep Singh was there, a batter who can ball a bit, like-for-like for Shivam Dube. But not him.
“Harshit Rana was chosen as the concussion substitute. I think people in charge should look into this. Today it happened against England and hurt, some day India might be hurt too.”
Harshit Rana replaced injured India batter Shivam Dube an took 3/33 on debut to help India win the match by 15 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-game series. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
