For all the talk regarding India’s concussion replacement being a tactical decision, a BCCI official has said that Ravindra Jadeja’s replacement in the second half of the first T20I was due to the safety and security of the all-rounder’s health.
Yuzvendra Chahal replaced Jadeja in the second half and took three wickets to help India the first game. India then went to win the second T20I and thus won the series with one match still to go.
Sanju Samson Spotted Ravindra Jadeja’s Injury: BCCI Official
In a conversation with Cricbuzz, the BCCI official further said that it was Sanju Samson who spotted Jadeja’s injury first. He then said the same to Mayank Agarwal, who then asked the medical team to step in. Jadeja had complained about feeling groggy and dizzy upon returning to the dressing-room after his innings in the first T20I.
“Sanju was the first one to see it. He immediately informed Mayank (Agarwal), who was seated next to him, that the blow was flush on the helmet. And Mayank then ran up to inform the team management,” the source said.
The BCCI official further said that the medical team immediately addressed Ravindra Jadeja who did feel some pain after his innings.
“We immediately called for the team doctor and he started icing Jadeja’s head and neck. We were quite worried. But even after a while he told us he was feeling groggy,” he added.
Ravindra Jadeja also copped up a hamstring injury in the previous over from Josh Hazlewood. He was struggling to run, which was when he decided to go for big shots in the death overs.
Questions on Tactical Move Ridiculous: BCCI Official
When questioned on if the change was a tactical move, the BCCI official said that looking after Jadeja’s health was their prime concern. He added that they looked at his hamstring injury way later after the medical team had assessed the concussion effect.
“At that point, we didn’t even focus on his hamstring. It was all about ensuring that he get immediate help. We now know all about head trauma injuries and how dangerous it can be. Our focus was to purely make sure he’s feeling better. And once the doctor had assessed him, we felt like we had no choice but to consult David Boon regarding the protocols for getting a concussion substitute,” the source explained.
“It’s quite ridiculous that someone would think we would use one of our batsmen getting hit on the head as a tactic for anything,” he added.
Ravindra Jadeja was ultimately ruled out of the last two T20Is after suffering the head injury in the first T20I.
