Amid the raging controversy over India's Ravindra Jadeja-Yuzvendra Chahal concussion substitute use in Canberra, Australia captain Aaron Finch has not questioned the Indian cricket team’s move to use the new concussion substitute facility in the first T20I on Friday (December 4).
While many former cricketers and cricket experts have been questioning India’s use of concussion substitute in the first T20I of the ongoing three-match T20I series at the Manuka Oval, Finch downplayed the controversy by saying he can't challenge the medical expert's opinion on the incident.
Jadeja got hit on the helmet by a thunderbolt from Mitchell Starc and was ruled out of rest of the proceedings on Friday due to concussion and later was replaced by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who wasn’t originally part of the playing XI in the first T20I.
Team India used the concussion substitute protocols introduced in 2019 but the move didn’t go well with many Australians including head coach Justin Langer with several former cricketers questioning whether tourists have followed the rules in Canberra.
Well, the Australian skipper decided to not challenge the medical expert’s decision regarding the incident, instead, blamed Australia's death bowling for their defeat in the first T20I.
Finch said after the game: “Their doctor had ruled Jadeja out due to concussion. You can't be challenging a medical expert's opinion.”
He signed off by saying, “We probably leaked too many runs at the death. Then while chasing, we didn't hit too many boundaries in the 6-over period.”
Noteworthy, the concussion substitute Chahal turned out to be a match-winner for India as the leg-spinner produced a game-changing spell of 3/25, dismissing Finch, Steve Smith, and Matthew Wade to help India win the first T20I by 11 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing series.
For his match-winning spell, Chahal was adjudged Man of the Match in Canberra.
(With ANI Inputs)
