SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS

Buttler unhappy after stand-in Rana shines

- DAVID CHARLESWORTH

JOS BUTTLER questioned Harshit Rana being parachuted in as a concussion substitute after the fast bowler helped India to a T20 series sealing victory in Pune.

Rana collected three key wickets after replacing Shivam Dube, who batted for one more ball after being struck in the helmet by a Jamie Overton bouncer but was deemed unfit to field in England's chase.

Dube is a batting all-rounder and Rana a genuine quick bowler but while rules state any change must be like-for-like, match referee Javagal Srinath, a former India international, approved the switch.

After India moved into an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series with a 15-run win, England captain Buttler was left distinctly unimpressed with the swap.

"It's not a like-for-like replacement, we don't agree with that," Buttler said.