England skipper Jos Buttler didn't hide his displeasure at how India used specialist fast bowler Harshit Rana as a like-for-like 'Concussion Sub' for all-rounder Shivam Dube, who bowls military medium, in the fourth T20I here which the hosts won by 15 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Dube, who scored 53 off 34 balls on Friday, was hit on the helmet by a Jamie Overton delivery in the second-last ball of India's innings, leading to the concussion protocol being followed.
Although Dube faced the last ball, but when India came out in defence of 181, Rana walked out to field instead of him.
The concussion protocol allows a like-for-like replacement and Rana was a tearaway quick replacing medium pacer Dube, who the Chennai Super Kings use as an Impact Player in the IPL.
Rana took 3/33, each wicket at a critical juncture, as India won by 15 runs. But the move by the Indian team management (read head coach Gautam Gambhir) left the England team high and dry.
Buttler claimed that his team wasn't consulted and they would seek clarity from match referee Javagal Srinath about what exactly constituted a like-for-like replacement in case of concussion.
"Yeah, I don't think it was like-for-like replacement. We don't agree with that. I think either Shivam Dube put on 25 miles per hour with the ball or Harshit has really improved with his batting," Buttler said in as many words, and the sarcasm wasn't lost on anyone.
As for Rana's credentials as an all-rounder, he has a hundred and a couple of fifties at the first-class level, and averages 34.
Buttler, however, admitted that even with Rana as a concussion substitute, England should have still gone on to win the match.
"I still think we should have gone on to win the match, but yeah, we disagree with the decision. We had our chances to win the game, which we could have still taken, but I'd like to just get a bit of clarity around that."
Asked if rival captains are kept in the loop about possible replacement, the stylish batter replied in the negative.
"Well, there's no consultation. I think that's something, actually, as I came out to bat. I was thinking, 'who's Harshit on for?' And they said he's the concussion replacement, which I obviously disagreed with; it's not a like-for-like replacement," added Buttler.
"So, yeah, they said that the match referee had made the decision. So, we had no say in it or any part of it. But yeah, we'll ask Javagal (Srinath) some questions just to get some clarity around it."
That Buttler was livid was understandable as Rana looked like an 'Impact Player' used in the IPL, and the England skipper is contemplating asking at the toss ahead of the fifth and final T20I in Mumbai on Sunday whether he can field 12 players.
"Yeah, he did (seem like an Impact Player). I should have said, maybe, at the toss next game, I'll say we're going to play 12 as well."
India's bowling coach Morne Morkel said that all they did was place a name to match referee Srinath.
"We only gave a name to the match referee. After that it's out of our hands. Harshit was having dinner. He had to quickly get up and go out. I thought he did an excellent job," Morkel said.
The like-for-like replacement in case of concussion substitute is a grey area that India have always used well.
Last time India used the ploy against Australia in a T20I game during the 2020-21 series.
Ravindra Jadeja was replaced by Yuzvendra Chahal as concussion substitute when the former was merely hit on the head and the issue had more to do with his hamstring.
Friday's move was getting best of both worlds -- Dube's batting and Rana's extreme pace.
