The ball sailed off the top edge and landed on the helmet’s grill. Warner, on the other hand, didn’t appear to be bothered. In fact, he did not even take the mandatory concussion test, indicating that the blow was not serious. He didn’t even take off his helmet.
After being hit on the helmet in the tenth over of the innings, the left-hander batted for another five overs before edging a Mohammed Shami delivery to wicket-keeper KS Bharat.
Warner was substituted after failing a concussion test at the end of the first day of play. The Australians have made effective use of the concussion substitution protocol, which allows teams to replace a concussed player with a similar player.
The Indian fans, on the other hand, accuse the touring party of abusing the rule by benching a batter who has historically struggled to score runs on Indian soil in the game’s longest format.
Indian supporters are criticising their smart move, from questioning their sportsmanship to labelling them as cheaters. Before slamming the Aussies and questioning their spirit of the game, Indian fans should remember what their team did a few years ago in Australia.
Using the same rule, Virat Kohli’s Men in Blue replaced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja with specialist leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal during a T20I match. Although Jadeja and Chahal are not like-for-like replacements, the Indian team was allowed to replace the former with the latter as a concussion substitute.
Jadeja was hit on the helmet during that game, but he continued to bat and scored some crucial runs near the end of the innings. The visitors announced during the mid-innings break that he had failed a concussion test and would be replaced by India’s premier leg-spinner.
The Australians appeared to be upset by the move, with head coach Justin Langer caught on camera having a heated argument with match referee David Boon.
The Indian team took advantage of the concussion rule, which proved to be a masterstroke as Chahal bowled a magnificent spell, turning the tide in India’s favour. He took three wickets for 25 runs in four overs and was named Player of the Match.
Before criticizing Australia, Indian fans must remember what their team did.
