Iceland Cricket took a cheeky dig at former England captain Michael Vaughan after he questioned India’s decision to bring in fast bowler Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute for all-rounder Shivam Dube during the fourth T20I in Pune.
The incident occurred on Friday, January 31, when Shivam Dube who had played a crucial knock of 53 runs was struck on the helmet by Jamie Overton in the final over of India’s innings. Unable to continue, he was replaced by Harshit Rana for the remainder of the match, a move that sparked debate among former cricketers and analysts.
Many experts were quick to criticise the decision, arguing that under the concussion substitution rule, the replacement should be a like-for-like player. Michael Vaughan, voicing his concerns on social media, took to X to express his frustration.
He tweeted, “How can an out & out bowler replace a batter who bowls part-time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #INDvsENG”. Iceland Cricket, known for its witty social media presence, responded with a sharp retort, “We didn’t need to check the score. We knew England must have lost.”
https://x.com/icelandcricket/status/1885375708177838310
England’s limited-overs captain Jos Buttler also weighed in on the matter during the post-match press conference. He made it clear that his team did not agree with the decision, stating, “It’s not a like-for-like replacement. We don’t agree with that. Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25 mph with the ball or Harshit’s really improved his batting. It’s part of the game, and we really should have gone on to win the match, but we disagree with the decision.”
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Harshit Rana’s impact on the game, however, was undeniable. Making his debut for India in T20Is, the Delhi pacer delivered a match-winning performance, finishing with figures of 3 for 33 in his four-over spell. He struck early in England’s chase, dismissing Liam Livingstone on just his second ball, caught behind by wicketkeeper Sanju Samson in the 12th over. His next victim was Jacob Bethell, who fell for just six runs in the 16th over, caught by Suryakumar Yadav.
The final blow came on the last delivery of Harshit Rana’s spell when he clean-bowled Overton, leaving England’s hopes in tatters. His performance turned out to be pivotal, helping India secure the win and take the upper hand in the five-match series.
What is your take in this regard? Do let us know.
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