'Makes no sense' - England & Cook question India concussion sub - Voice of Asia

A controversial moment arose after India’s victory over England in the fourth T20 match in Pune, becoming the focal point of post-match discussions. England captain Jos Buttler stated, "We don't agree with the decision."

The issue stemmed from Indian batsman Shivam Dube being struck on the helmet by a short ball from Jamie Overton during the penultimate ball of India's final over. Despite being assessed by the Indian medical team, Dube completed the final ball, but subsequently, match referee Javagal Srinath approved Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute, replacing Dube and gaining a crucial bowling opportunity in England’s chase. England expressed their dissatisfaction, as the rules stipulate that a concussion substitute must be a "like-for-like" player.

Dube is primarily a batsman, with his bowling being slower and having bowled in less than a third of his T20 matches since the start of 2024. Harshit, on the other hand, was making his T20 debut, bowls at close to 90mph, and has only batted three times in 26 T20 matches, all at number 10 or 11. Ultimately, Harshit performed exceptionally well, dismissing Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, and Jamie Overton, with figures of 3-33, helping India win by 15 runs.

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations, the purpose of a concussion substitute is to ensure fairness in the game. The rules state that the match referee should approve a concussion substitute request, provided that the replacement player is similar in type to the replaced player and that their inclusion does not unduly enhance the team's advantage for the remainder of the match. The referee should consider the role the replaced player might have played for the rest of the match, as well as the normal role of the substitute. The rules also allow the referee to impose restrictions on the substitute's participation if they unduly enhance the team’s advantage. Other options India could have considered to replace Dube included fast bowler Mohammed Shami, wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel, spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar, or batting all-rounder Ramandeep Singh who has a similar bowling pace to Dube.

Buttler acknowledged that Harshit's inclusion was not the reason for England's defeat, but he stated that he disagreed with the match referee's decision. He pointed out, "It wasn't a like-for-like replacement," and indicated that he would seek clarification from match referee Javagal Srinath. Buttler also humorously remarked, "Either Dube has gained 25 mph in pace, or Harshit has improved his batting significantly." Former England captain Alastair Cook also called the decision "ridiculous." He argued that replacing a batting-focused, slow-bowling all-rounder with a non-batting, fast bowler was entirely unreasonable.

England's loss meant India took a 3-1 lead in the five-match series, securing the victory with a match to spare. Cook commented that England had "played some silly shots" in the match. He believed that after a 62-0 start in their chase of 182, England failed to maintain composure and were too eager to attack. He noted that sometimes the modern mindset is not correct, and teams need to adjust their tactics based on the situation rather than sticking rigidly to a predetermined approach. He suggested that if Harry Brook had chosen a more measured approach at a crucial moment instead of attempting a difficult shot, England might have had a better chance of winning the game.