Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised concerns over the decision of the on-field officials and match referee to allow Harshit Rana to replace Shivam Dube as a concussion substitute during the fourth T20I against England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
Harshit Rana’s performance was instrumental in India’s 15-run victory, as he took three crucial wickets. However, the decision to permit Harshit’s substitution has faced criticism from several cricket pundits. England captain Jos Buttler also expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that Harshit was not a “like-for-like” replacement for Shivam Dube.
Ashwin said it seemed like the officials forgot that it was an international match and it was a case of “pure cricketing miscalculation.”
Pure miscalculation: Ashwin on Harshit Rana’s inclusion
“The game is done. India capture yet another series at home. T20I has been a real juggernaut of a win. What was this game? It was like a replica of the IPL. Supersub was there, and the game was played with an impact player,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
“The entire discussion is about how Harshit Rana came in as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube. Did we forget that it was an international match and play an IPL match? I can understand. It has happened in the past. Ravindra Jadeja got concussed in Canberra, and Yuzvendra Chahal came in as a substitute. I don’t understand this. At least previously, Chahal came in for Jadeja, a spinner for a spinner,” he added.
Harshit Rana changed the game as he took the wickets of Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton. With this win, India gained an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
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