Kerala off-spinner Jalaj Saxena was miffed on Thursday with the “unfair” replacement of Gujarat’s concussed leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi by seam-bowling all-rounder Hemang Patel in a decisive situation of the Ranji Trophy semi-final at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
With Gujarat batting for the crucial first-innings lead after the visitors were bowled out for 457 on Wednesday morning, Kerala were intimated of the inclusion of Bishnoi’s replacement post the day’s play. The India spinner injured his face and was left with a bloodied nose during fielding before walking off the field earlier on.
With Saxena snapping two wickets in the morning session, Gujarat sent Hemang at No. 5 ahead of the team’s leading run-scorer, Jaymeet Patel, and skipper Chintan Gaja.
As the emerging concussion sub did not exactly sound by the ‘like-for-like replacement’ order of the law, Saxena was seen arguing Hemang’s entry at number five with the on-field umpire.
“Ravi Bishnoi is a bowler and he generally bats 9 or 10 for their side. And then as a concussion player, you are getting a player who bats really well and is promoted to bat number 5. I think that was unfair for us and that’s what I was telling the umpire. At least, if you have taken a batsman in place of him, make him play at number 11,” Saxena said.
Gujarat fielded Hemang after three other players on the bench – Kshitij Patel, Umang Kumar and Het Patel – posed stronger batting profiles. While Hemang’s 19.85 average from four previous First-Class outings – the lowest of the quartet – made his choice eligible, Saxena termed his inclusion unfair on Kerala. Putting on 27 runs off 41 balls, Hemang helped Gujarat regain momentum over Kerala to end the day with only a 29-run trail to seal the innings lead and potentially a final berth.
“He scored some crucial runs at that point and it was very visible that he wasn’t a bowler. He was a batsman who could bowl and not a like-for-like replacement for Bishnoi,” lamented Saxena.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
