India found themselves in a tough spot after posting a modest 181 in their first innings during the fourth T20I in Pune. Things were looking grim as England made a strong start, reaching 62/1 in the powerplay.
However, when the spinners came into the attack, India struck back with a flurry of wickets, taking down Phil Salt and Jos Buttler in the space of just nine balls. Despite that, England remained steady, with Livingstone and Harry Brook looking in good touch.
But of course, when India faces England, drama is never far behind. Shivam Dube, who had been hit on the helmet in the final over of India’s innings, didn’t take the field, leading to Harshit Rana being brought in as a “like-for-like” substitute.
Though England wasn’t thrilled about the substitution, things took another turn when Rana was given the ball for the first time in T20I cricket during the 12th over.
On just his second delivery in international T20 cricket, Rana bowled a 140.7kph short of length ball outside off stump. Livingstone attempted to guide it to third man but ended up edging it through to Samson behind the stumps.
— jithesh (@jithesh1569353) January 31, 2025
As the debate over whether Rana was truly eligible raged on, neither the pacer nor Indian Twitter seemed bothered, celebrating the crucial wicket with enthusiasm.