'England have every reason to feel done in' - Sunil Gavaskar lambasts India for concussion substitute controversy

The fourth T20I between India and England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune was marred with controversy. For the unversed, Harshit Rana came on as the concussed Shivam Dube's replacement during the second innings of the game. Harshit ultimately played a crucial role in clinching the series for the hosts. There has been a strong feeling of resentment within the English cricket fraternity ever since that decision was made.

Former Indian cricketer, Sunil Gavaskar, questioned the need to bring in a substitute for Dube. He also felt that the Harshit should have been only allowed to field and not bowl. 

“In the Pune game, Dube batted right till the end after having got hit on the helmet earlier, so clearly, he was not concussed. So, allowing a concussion substitute itself was not correct. Yes, there could have been a substitute in case he had strained a muscle while batting, but that would have been only for fielding and he could not have bowled,” wrote Gavaskar in his column for The Telegraph.

Also Read: 3 players who delivered game-changing performances as concussion substitute

Doesn't need its wins to get tarnished by such acts: Gavaskar

He also noted that apart from their height and fielding level, nothing was common between the two cricketers.

"Even by the most generous stretching of the like-for-like term, there was nothing such between Dube and Rana. With tongue firmly in cheek, one can say that they are the same height and have the same standard in fielding. Otherwise, there's nothing like-for-like as far as they are concerned. England has every reason to feel done in. This Indian team is a superb team and doesn't need its wins to get tarnished by such acts,” added Gavaskar.

Notably, Harshit's T20I debut in Pune turned out to be a game-changer for India. He went on to secure a three-wicket haul, conceding 33 runs in his four-over quota. The hosts ultimately secured victory by 15 runs on Friday.