India bowling coach Morne Morkel didn't try to stir the pot as he kept his answer straight
England captain Jos Buttler was left fuming following the 15-run loss in the fourth T20I against India over the concussion replacement of Hashit Rana for Shivam Dube.
Allrounder Shivam Dube, who scored 53 off 34 balls, got hit on the helmet by a Jamie Overton bouncer in the final over and was replaced by pacer Harshit Rana after the innings break.
Rana played a pivotal role in England’s downfall in the match by getting the wickets Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton in his T20I debut figures of 3-33.
India assistant coach Morne Morkel took a fence approach to this issue as he said Rana’s name was put forth to the match referee Javagal Srinath, who approved it. He sidestepped the discussion on “like-for-like replacement” which England and Buttler were furious about.
“It is not a like-for-like replacement. We don’t agree with that. Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25mph with the ball or Harshit has 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,” Buttler said after the match.
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The visitors’ main gripe was the lack of communication with officials over the replacement decision, for which Buttler said England will seek clarification.
“There was no consultation. That’s something I was thinking as I came out to bat – who is Harshit on for? They said he is a concussion replacement, which I obviously disagreed with. It is not a like-for-like replacement. They said that the match referee had made the decision. We had no say in it or any part of it. But we’ll ask Javagal (Srinath) some questions just to get some clarity around it,” Buttler said.
Both Dube and Rana contributed to England’s anguish in the match as India won the series by 3-1 with the final T20I set to be played at the Wankhede.
“Shivam came off the field in the innings break with mild headache symptoms. We took a name forward to the match referee in terms of a suitable substitution, and from there it is up to the match referee to make the decision. When the decision was made, Harshit was having dinner. So we had to get him ready as quickly as possible to go on the field and bowl,” Morkel revealed in the post-match presentation.
“It goes to the powers above me – match referee makes the decision. We can only take the name forward and from there it is out of our hands,” the former South African pacer said.
Clause 1.2.7.4 of the ICC’s T20I Playing Conditions clearly states that “in assessing whether the nominated Concussion Replacement should be considered a like-for-like player, the ICC Match Referee should consider the likely role the concussed player would have played during the remainder of the match, and the normal role that would be performed by the nominated Concussion Replacement.”
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