Jos Buttler Accuses Gautam Gambhir’s India of Cheating with Concussion Sub

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The decision to bring in Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube during the fourth T20I between India and England has sparked controversy. England captain Jos Buttler expressed his disagreement, stating that the substitution did not meet the criteria of a like-for-like replacement.

Jos Buttler Questions India’s Decision

Dube, who scored 53 off 34 balls, took two blows to the helmet during his innings and did not take the field for England’s chase. India opted to replace him with Rana, a specialist fast bowler, rather than a batting allrounder. Buttler, along with on-air commentators Kevin Pietersen and Nick Knight, questioned the move.

“It is not a like-for-like replacement. We don’t agree with that,” Buttler said after India sealed a 15-run win. “Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25 mph with the ball or Harshit’s really improved his batting.”

Former England cricketer Pietersen criticized the swap, saying, “He [Rana] is not the like-for-like replacement for Shivam Dube. Ask anyone in the world, and they will say the same thing.” Knight also shared similar concerns.

India had Ramandeep Singh on the bench, a batting allrounder who could have been a more fitting replacement for Dube. However, he was instead used as a regular substitute for Varun Chakravarthy at one point in the match.

Harshit Rana’s Impact on the Game

Despite the controversy, Rana made an immediate impact on his T20I debut. He dismissed Liam Livingstone with his second ball, bowled his full quota of overs, and ended with three wickets. He also took a crucial catch at short third, sending Buttler back to the pavilion.

After the match, Rana shared his thoughts on his debut: “I have been preparing for a while, not just for this series. I have experience bowling at the death in the IPL, and I relied on that.”

While India successfully secured an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series, the debate over whether Rana’s inclusion was fair is likely to continue.

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