How do we view Harshit Rana’s impact as a concussion substitute? Was it right on India’s part to use him? Was it within the rules of the game? How about spirit and ethics? Why did the match referee not intervene and disallow it?
Jos Buttler said very politely at the press conference that he disagreed with the call. Truth be told, he is within his rights to do so. Harshit was never a like-for-like replacement. And it did not add up in that sense.
However, there have been many instances in the past where players have done things which were questionable, but within rules. Thereafter, the rule had to be amended. Greg Chappell asked Trevor, his younger sibling, to use underarm when it was legal. West Indies’ bouncer barrage resulted in a blood bath at Sabina Park in 1976 forcing Bishan Bedi to declare, and for rules regarding intimidatory bowling to be changed over the next decade. Bodyline, for example, was legal at the time and Douglas Jardine was also hailed for it by a section of the British press.
On the flip side, you had MS Dhoni who called back a dozy Ian Bell at Trent Bridge in 2014, when he was clearly out within the rules. There are many such instances. The best example will always be England’s 2019 World Cup win on boundary count-back and that ricochet off Ben Stokes’s bat for a four. The truth is England celebrated for days, Buttler included, when the entire world questioned the spirit of it. Within days, however, the spirit issue disappeared and England relished being world champions.
If anything, the match referee should have taken the call. Not India. They played within rules, exploited the loophole and won. Shivam Dube has 52 wickets in the format, including 11 in T20Is, and bowls seam-up. That makes him an all-rounder based on rules. A batter wouldn’t have half the number of wickets. India knew that and used it to their advantage.
While the debate rages on, let’s be clear. India did not do anything against the rules. Spirit yes, rules no. But then Vinesh missed out on a possible gold for 100 grams. Go tell her rules aren’t important and see what she says.