Michael Vaughan, Cook, Pietersen question match referee for allowing Harshit Rana as concussion substitute – India TV

Much has been debated about the concussion substitute rules in cricket over the last 12 hours, thanks to the fourth T20I between India and England that was played in Pune. India’s 15-run win recovering from 12-3 has been overshadowed by the match referee’s decision to allow Harshit Rana as concussion substitute for Shivam Dube. 

Dube who scored a brilliant half-century with the bat was hit on the helmet in the final over of the innings. He experienced a delayed concussion and did not take the field in the second innings. Much to everyone’s surprise, Rana made his T20I debut as a concussion substitute and ended up picking three wickets playing a crucial role in India’s win.

The debate here is – how’s Rana like-for-like replacement for Dube? Would Dube have bowled his full quota of four overs in normal circumstances? Well certainly not, and England skipper Jos Buttler made his disappointment clear in the post-match press conference about the same. He openly disagreed with the decision while confirming that the visitors had no say once the match referee Javagal Srinath allowed.

Former England cricketers are also fuming over the decision with Kevin Pietersen saying, “I’m not sure he is like for like. Jos Buttler was not happy with the substitute before getting out. He was fuming after he got out, walked straight to the dugout and had a word with the coach because he thought it was not like for like.”

Former England captain Alastair Cook also questioned the decision and said, “A big-hitting batting all-rounder is replaced with a guy who can’t bat and bowls heavy seam, makes no sense to me whatsoever. It seems absolutely madness that he was allowed. He bowled well on debut but he should not be allowed to bowl.”

Notably, Dube has bowled in 23 innings out of his 34-match T20I career and only twice he has bowled his full quota of four overs. Vaughan was another one of those former England players to question Rana’s involvement during the match and he took to X to question the decision. “How can an out & out bowler replace a batter who bowls part-time,” he wrote.