After his team's resounding 150-run victory wrapped up the T20I series against England by a 4-1 margin at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, team India head coach Gautam Gambhir had a cheeky response to the concussion-sub controversy that had marred their fourth T20I win in Pune. Tensions flared when England skipper Jos Buttler rubbished the match referee Javagal Srinath's decision to approve seamer Harshit Rana as all-rounder Shivam Dube's concussion replacement in India's bowling innings in Pune, a match that the home side eventually won by 15 runs. Buttler later took to the press conference and said: "Either Shivam Dube has put on about 25mph with the ball or Harshit's really improved his batting. It's part of the game and we really should have gone on to win the match, but we disagree with the decision." Buttler too had a tongue-in-cheek moment at the toss in Mumbai when he announced his playing XI and said: “And our four impact subs today are Rehan Ahmed, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson,” Buttler said after winning the toss and putting India to bat first." When quizzed by Kevin Pietersen on the whole situation after the fifth T20I on Star Sports, Gambhir cheekily said "He would have bowled four overs for sure today." Going in with only Mohammad Shami as the front-line pacer yet again, Dube chipped in with with two wickets in as many overs before England were bowled out for a lowly 97 in response to India's 247. Speaking on the one key pacer strategy, Gambhir said the requirement of a useful bat at No. 8 has prompted the decision. "It is about having the No. 8 batter, even if he does not face too many balls, because of the kind of cricket that we are playing. We want to go as hard as possible and sometimes that cushion of having that No. 8 would free up the top 7 more," Gambhir concluded.
