"Not a like-for-like replacement...": England skipper Buttler on India using Rana as concussion substitute

India's win in the fourth T20I by 15 runs was no doubt a thrilling affair owing to a fine partnership between Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube after an early loss of wickets and fine bowling spells from Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy despite some great fightback from England, but it also came with some controversy due to Harshit's entry as a concussion substitute (which are supposed to be like-for-like replacements) for Dube after the all-rounder went off the field during innings break after being hit by a delivery from Jamie Overton during the final ball of India's innings.

While Dube is a batting all-rounder who can bowl some useful medium pace, Rana is a genuine pacer who can touch 140 kmph and is a capable lower-order batter. But he is not classified as an all-rounder.

Speaking after the match in the post-match presser, Buttler said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, "It is not a like-for-like replacement. We do not agree with that. Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25mph with the ball or Harshit has really improved his batting. It is part of the game and we really should have gone on to win the match, but we disagree with the decision."

Buttler also said that there was no consultation for the decision with England.

"That is 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 will ask Javagal [Srinath] (match refree) some questions just to get some clarity around it," said the skipper.

Buttler said that while Rana's presence was not entirely the reason why England lost, he would like to have some clarity.

Even former England skipper and batter Kevin Pietersen expressed disagreement with decision to have Rana as a concussion substitute on-air.

"He [Rana] is not the like-to-like replacement for Shivam Dube," Pietersen said on air. "You ask anyone in the world, and they will say the same thing. Dube is not a genuine pacer, but Rana is," he added.

On the other hand, Indian assistant coach Morne Morkel said on the matter, "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."

"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," he added.

Coming to the match, England won the toss and elected to field first. India was reduced to 12/3 by pacer Saqib Mahmood (3/35) after he got Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav in one over. Abhishek Sharma (29 in 19 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Rinku Singh (30 in 26 balls, with four boundaries and a six) played crucial knocks, but India still reeled at 79/5. An 87-run partnership between Hardik Pandya (53 in 34 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and Dube (53 in 30 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) helped India reach 181/9 in their 20 overs. Overton (4/32) and Adil Rashid (1/35) also bowled fine spells.

In the run-chase, Phil Salt (23 in 21 balls, with four boundaries) and Ben Duckett (39 in 19 balls, with seven fours) put England to a fine start, adding 62 runs for the first wicket. However, Indian spinners helped the hosts bounce back and left England at 95/4. Harry Brook (51 in 26 balls, with five fours and two sixes) did score a half-century, but wickets fell quickly on the other end, with Harshit (3/33) and spinner Ravi Bishnoi (3/28) taking the spotlight. England was restricted at 166 and lost by 15 runs.

Dube got the 'Player of the Match' award. India has won the series 3-1. (ANI)