The IND vs ENG 4th T20I is currently in the limelight. The main focus – Harshit Rana coming on as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube and winning the game for India. And now, India’s assistant coach, Morne Morkel has gone on to reveal that Harshit was having his dinner when he was informed that he would have to dart to the middle of the pitch to play the game.
Shivam Dube was a part of the India Playing XI. He smashed a brilliant fifty to help India put up a good total on the board. But he was hit on the helmet by Jamie Overton. Morkel claimed that Dube was showcasing headache symptoms. Thus, as a result, a decision was made to substitute him as Harshit Rana went on to make his T20I debut for the Men in Blue.
Got him ready as quickly as possible
“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,” Morkel said in the post-match presentation.
Harshit had previously made his debut in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. But this was his first outing for the country in the shortest format of the game. His impact was immediate on the game as he struck early to dismiss Liam Livingstone.
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Harshit went on to bag 3 wickets in his spell which helped India script a 15-run win and thereby secure the series. Meanwhile, Jos Buttler was extremely angry with the decision claiming it was unfair. Morne Morkel however, claimed the team followed the procedure and what happened next was not in their hands.
“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 concluded.
