Since the time ICC has allowed concussion substitutes for players who get hit on the helmet, quite a few teams have used that rule and introduced players from the bench into an actual game whenever one of the selected players suffered a concussion and some of the concussion substitutes have actually come in and performed well for their respective teams straightaway.
Here are the 4 players who came as concussion substitutes and performed well –
1. Marnus Labuschagne (2019)
It was in the second Ashes Test match last year that Steve Smith got hit on the helmet off a vicious Jofra Archer delivery and although he later returned in that innings to bat and scored a couple of boundaries as well, he got the late concussion and the Australian medical staff ruled him unfit to bat in the second innings.
The concussion substitute had to be like for like which meant in case of Smith, Australia had to bring in a middle-order batsman and the next best middle-order option available on the bench was Marnus Labuschagne.
Labuschagne was drafted into the XI and although he found himself in the thick of things on short notice, he got going straightaway and scored a stroke-filled half-century in the second innings of that game against a very skilful English attack.
2. Yuzvendra Chahal (2020)
It was in the second T20I game between India and Australia earlier this week in Canberra that Ravindra Jadeja got hit on the helmet in the last over off the bowling of Mitchell Starc. But, it didn’t seem to be a major blow at that stage as Jadeja continued batting and even the Indian physio didn’t come out.
But later, the Indian team management let the match referee know that Jadeja was feeling a bit dizzy since returning to the pavilion. The match referee allowed a concussion substitute, but Australia had an objection with the kind of player India opted for as a concussion substitute.
India opted for Chahal who is a spinner, while Jadeja is an all-rounder, but to be fair to India, Jadeja was also picked as the second spinner of the side apart from being a finisher and since India didn’t have any other spinner sitting on the bench, they had to bring in Chahal who eventually proved to be the match-winner for India with a 3-wicket haul and was also named the man of the match.
3. Jermaine Blackwood (2019)
It was during one of the games of the Test series between India and West Indies last year that Darren Bravo had to be retired hurt because of a blow he took on his helmet off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah towards the end of the third day.
Bravo, however, didn’t leave the field at that time and faced a few more deliveries to see West Indies through to the end of the day. He even passed a concussion test next morning, but when he actually came out to bat next morning, he started feeling a bit dizzy and the West Indies team management decided to replace him with Jermaine Blackwood.
Blackwood, who found himself playing Test cricket after a long time, looked in sublime touch and found quite a few boundaries during that knock and scored 38 off 72 balls. However, despite his efforts, West Indies were so far behind in that game that they eventually lost.
4. Theunis de Bruyn (2019)
Theunis de Bruyn came as a concussion sub in the third Test match between India and South Africa last year in Ranchi. South Africa were bundled out for less than 200 in the first innings and was asked by India to follow on.
Dean Elgar injured himself very early in the second innings and South Africa introduced De Bruyn as a concussion sub. Although De Bruyn scored 30 runs, he couldn’t save innings defeat for South Africa.
