Gavaskar, Broad slam team India as they join concussion sub debate
India remained victorious in the series with 4-1 after an emphatic victory over the visitors in the final match in Mumbai on Sunday
Despite the conclusion of the five-match T20I series between India and England, the debate on concussion substitute role, which the Indian team availed in the fourth match is far from over!
India remained victorious in the series with 4-1 after an emphatic victory over the visitors in the final match in Mumbai on Sunday.
Nevertheless, the controversy over the substitute player is still fresh.
The Blues used Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute for half centurion Shivam Dube, a master stroke that saw the hosts seal the five-match T20I series with 15-run win in the fourth game. However, Jos Buttler, the English captain, expressed strong objection to the move. "We don't agree with concussion substitutes. It's not like a replacement," he said.
Defending the decision, India bowling coach, Morne Morkel, said, "As far as I'm aware, Shivam (Dube) obviously took the knock on the head and when he came off the field during the innings break with mild headache symptoms, we took a name forward to the match referee in terms of a suitable substitution. From there it's up to the match referee to make that decision."
Latest to join the debate was former England player and ICC match referee Chris Broad and India legend Sunil Gavaskar. What's interesting is both of them had only one side to support.
"Independent match officials were brought in to stop situations like this! Why are the ICC returning to the ‘bad old days’ of bias and corruption?" Broad wrote in a post on 'X'.
Meanwhile, India legend Gavaskar felt that opting a concussion substitute for this situation is wrong. As the former captain felt that Dube was not concussed. In a column on a reputed newspaper, Gavaskar wrote, "Dube batted right till the end after having hit on the helmet earlier, so clearly, he was not concussed. So, allowing a concussion substitute itself was not correct."
He also said that Rana was in no way like-for-like substitute for Dube. "There's nothing like for like as far as they are concerned."
"This Indian team is a superb team and doesn't need its wins to get tarnished by such acts," the legendary player added.
Meanwhile, India and England will go head-to-head in a three match ODI series starting Thursday.
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