“They could’ve used all 15 players” - Former Australia cricketer’s brutal attack on England after IND vs ENG 2025 5th T20I

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch mocked England skipper Jos Buttler's apparent jab at the toss during the fifth T20I against India, where he named all of the players on the bench as 'impact subs'. This came on the back of the concussion sub-controversy that transpired in the previous match in Pune.

The visiting side had expressed their displeasure after Harshit Rana was approved as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube in the second innings. The debutant ended up picking three wickets, helping India sealing the series with a game to spare.

Match referee Javagal Srinath came under the spotlight and was immensely criticized by the English fans and pundits for his decision that allowed India to bring in a frontline pacer in place of a batting all-rounder.

England could not come up with an apt response on the field as they lost the final T20I by 150 runs. India had smashed 247 runs after being put into bat first at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Aaron Finch stated that India were not at fault in the controversy, and claimed England would not have been able to chase down 250 even if their entire squad had a turn with the bat.

"It's hard with a concussion sub because you have only got four other players there, and generally one will be a wicket-keeper, one will be a batter, bowler, and then an all-rounder. I can understand the frustration, but I can also understand from India's point of view. If Harshit Rana is the closest player to fit the mould of Shivam Dube, then there is nothing they can do better," Finch said on ESPN's Around the Wicket.

"When Jos Buttler read off all the names, I mean they were chasing 250, and they got bowled out for 90-odd. They could have used all 15 players, and still not get the job done," he added

Only two England batters managed to record double figures as the Indian bowlers dismantled the opposition to clinch a record win. The visitors only batted out 10.3 overs as they crumbled against an imperious, and ever-climbing required run rate.

"Rana has got a higher first-class score than Shivam Dube" - Aaron Finch

Former Australia batter Callum Ferguson, part of the same panel, stated that the substitution should not have been approved because of how different the players were from each other given their roles in the team.

"I thought actually, the decision was ridiculous. There was no way it should have been run. It needed to be a batter coming in, because Rana is not an all-rounder if you look at his numbers," Ferguson opined.

"He's got a higher first-class score than Shivam Dube," Finch chimed in.

Harshit Rana has a first-class ton to his name and averages 34 in red-ball cricket. Dube, on the other hand, has four hundreds with a high score of 121 but is a run short of Rana's highest score.

Aaron Finch had shared the dressing room with Harshit Rana when the pair played for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season.