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Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India is hosting England in a five-match T20I series. However, the hosts have already clinched the series with one more T20I to go, which is scheduled to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, February 2. Although, the hosts will eye for another victory, Jos Buttler-led England will aim to bounce back to finish the series with a 2-3 margin.
As they set their eyes in the final match, the fourth T20I caught several eyeballs with Harshit Rana coming in for Shivam Dube as like for like concussion substitute after the latter was hit on the helmet. This decision of the team management caught several criticism, drawing similar reactions from several former cricketers.
R Ashwin calls Harshit Rana’s like for like concussion substitute “poetic injustice”
Recently retired Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin also voiced his opinions on the matter, adding that it wasn’t a like for like replacement. “The game is done. India capture yet another series at home. T20I has been a real juggernaut of a win. But my question is, whether we forgot it was an international game and played an IPL match? Because today all the discussion was on how Shivam Dube's concussion substitute?” Ashwin stated. “I can understand it has happened in the past too. In Canberra, Yuzvendra Chahal replaced Ravindra Jadeja," he further cited.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin took a blunt dig at this, adding, "You can call poetic justice, or in fact poetic injustice. I don't understand it. At least earlier, Chahal replaced Ravindra Jadeja. Here, Harshit Rana replaced Shivam 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 Indian veteran continued.
While calling it as an equation of “miscalculation”, Ashwin concluded, "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 vall 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 picked three wickets in his maiden T20I match. The speedster finished with the figures of 3/33 in his four-over spell, picking the wickets of Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton.