Team India registered a win against England in the fourth T20I of the series in Pune by 15 runs and took the series 3-1. Shivam Dube put up a match-winning performance with the bat by scoring 53 runs off 34 balls, and his concussion substitute Harshit Rana was sensational with the ball by picking up three wickets in his four-over spell.
There was a big discussion regarding the choice of concussion substitute, as everyone felt it was not a like-for-like replacement. England captain Jos Buttler did not agree with the decision and stated it clearly in the post-match press conference.
Jamie Overton’s bouncer hit Dube on his helmet in the final over of the Indian innings, who stitched together a match-winning 87-run partnership with Hardik Pandya. Rana talked about the time when he was informed that he would be the concussion substitute for Dube. He stated that after the end of two overs of the England innings, head coach Gautam Gambhir informed him that he would be the concussion substitute for Dube.
What did Harshit Rana say?
Rana added that he had been preparing for his debut for India in the T20I, and he wanted to prove with his performances that he deserved the chance.
“It is still a dream debut for me. When Dube came back (to the dugout), after two overs I was informed by sir (Gambhir) I will be the concussion substitute. It is not just for this series; I have been waiting for an opportunity for a long time, and I wanted to prove I belong here. I have bowled well in the IPL and was just following the same here,” Rana told the broadcasters after the match.
This was the first T20I of Rana. Meanwhile, he has already been part of two Test matches for India in the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. However, the choice of concussion substitute continues to be a debate among all. India and England will face off in the final T20I of the series at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 2.
