India secured a 15-run victory over England in the fourth T20, clinching the series 3-1, but not without controversy surrounding a concussion replacement. The match at the Wankhede Stadium saw a dramatic turn of events, starting with England’s impressive bowling spell. Saqib Mahmood delivered a triple-wicket maiden, reducing India to a precarious 12 for 3 early on. Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to field, giving England an early advantage. However, India mounted a strong recovery with Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube leading the charge, both scoring 53 runs apiece to set a daunting target of 182.
Dube was struck on the helmet during his knock, prompting a concussion replacement. Harshit Rana, making his T20I debut, took the field as a substitute for Dube, though the replacement sparked a controversy. While concussion replacements are allowed, Rana’s role as a bowler was seen as a significant difference, as he was considered a far greater bowling threat than Dube. This led to disagreements over whether the change was “like-for-like,” as required by the playing conditions.
Rana’s impact was evident. He took three wickets, including that of Jamie Overton in the penultimate over when England still had a chance of victory, needing 25 runs from 12 balls. Overton was dismissed with an inside edge that bowled him out, and India secured the win soon after. Buttler expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision, stating that the replacement did not align with the regulations. He acknowledged the importance of the match but said that England should have won despite the controversy. Buttler planned to seek clarification from match referee Javagal Srinath.
The match had started positively for England. Mahmood, replacing the rested Mark Wood, made an immediate impact with a quick breakthrough. He dismissed Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav in the second over, and Jofra Archer followed up with another wicket. However, India countered with a partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Rinku Singh, though it was not long before England’s No. 1-ranked T20 bowler, Adil Rashid, made inroads. He dismissed Sharma for 29, and though Dube was dropped by Buttler, he capitalized on the opportunity, smacking 25 off 11 balls against Rashid’s spin.
Pandya, coming in at 79 for 5, took control of the innings, forging an 87-run partnership with Dube. Pandya, known for his explosive batting and technical ability, dominated the attack, hitting sixes off Mahmood, Archer, and Overton. His innings, alongside Dube’s, led India to their highest total of the series, recovering from a challenging position.
For England, Ben Duckett was the standout performer in the powerplay, scoring boundaries off Arshdeep Singh and taking on the spinners effectively. However, after a rapid start, England’s middle order crumbled. Duckett’s 39 came to an end when he miscued a shot off Ravi Bishnoi, and the collapse continued with the dismissals of Phil Salt and Buttler. England was left reeling with their top order struggling, and it was left to Harry Brook to salvage the situation.
Brook did manage to fight back, smashing two consecutive sixes off Rana, but his resistance was short-lived. He fell to Varun Chakravarthy in the 15th over, trying an ill-advised scoop. Overton and Rashid added a small partnership, but the pressure from Rana was too much. Rana’s bowling played a key role in England’s downfall, as the team was bowled out for 166, giving India a comfortable 15-run victory and sealing the series.
Despite the controversy over the concussion replacement, India’s win was built on solid contributions from Pandya, Dube, and Rana. England’s failure to capitalize on their early breakthroughs and the collapse of their batting line-up ultimately cost them the match and the series.
