Pietersen's Straight Talk: 'Concussion Substitution Could Have Changed T20I Series Outcome'
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England suffered a 1-4 defeat in the five-match T20I series against India. Nevertheless, Kevin Pietersen contends that the outcome could have been markedly different had the concussion substitution controversy not arisen during the fourth T20I in Pune. Harshit Rana was selected as a “like for like” replacement for Shivam Dube in that match, and remarkably, the debutant claimed three wickets, contributing significantly to India's victory.
This triumph in the Pune T20I secured India an unassailable lead in the series. In the concluding match held in Mumbai, India dominated the visitors, winning by a substantial margin of 150 runs.
The decision to permit Harshit to replace Shivam Dube has faced criticism from notable figures such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Aakash Chopra, Nick Knight, and Sunil Gavaskar, among others. During the toss for the fifth T20I, Jos Buttler made a pointed remark regarding the situation, indicating that England was effectively competing with four “impact subs.”
"It was a disappointing series from England's perspective. I think that in the fourth T20I, if the concussion substitution had been executed properly, perhaps England would have fared better," Pietersen was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“It would have been 2-2 heading into the Wankhede (Stadium for the final T20I). The stakes would have been significantly higher. However, that did not transpire,” he further remarked.
'Great decision to add Chakaravarthy'
In preparation for the forthcoming three-match ODI series against England, India has included Varun Chakaravarthy in their squad. The spinner was recognized as the Player of the Series during the T20I matches, where he claimed 14 wickets, contributing to India's 4-1 series victory.
However, Kevin Pietersen believes that the English batsmen will perform better against the 33-year-old in the ODI format, which commences on February 6 in Nagpur.
"The English batsmen will have an advantage against him in the one-day format as they can take their time. It is a longer format, and not every delivery is critical. Nonetheless, I think it is an excellent decision to include Chakravarthy," Pietersen remarked.
The three ODIs between India and England are scheduled to take place in Nagpur, Cuttack, and Ahmedabad. The series will conclude one week prior to the commencement of the Champions Trophy.
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