West Indies use substitute wicketkeeper after injury to Shane Dowrich
West Indies wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich suffered an injury to his knee and went off the field during the first session of day two of the second Test against India in Hyderabad. After getting dismissed for 311, thanks to Roston Chase's century, the Windies pacers started off in a bad note as they were wayward with their line and lengths and that allowed Prithvi Shaw to cash in on the errors and score yet another fifty.
In the third over of the Indian innings, opener KL Rahul left a fullish delivery outside the off stump off Shannon Gabriel and the ball bounced awkwardly just in front of the wicketkeeper and hit him in the fleshy part of his knee and ran away for four byes. He was down in pain and received medical attention immediately before he was taken off the field by the physio. In spite of having a wicketkeeper in the form of Shai Hope in the playing XI, Jahmar Hamilton, the substitute took over the keeping duties.
Earlier, it wouldn't have been possible as substitute fielders were not allowed to bat, bowl or keep wickets when they come on to the field even if a player is ruled out of the ongoing match due to an injury. But, last year, the rule was revised and according to the new rule, the substitute fielder is allowed to don the gloves only if the original wicketkeeper is injured. However, the substitute fielders are still not allowed to either bat or bowl when they come on to the field.
"It was felt that, if the original wicketkeeper was genuinely injured, then a substitute should be allowed to take over, but that the umpires should control the situation to prevent abuse," the MCC explained in a summary of their amendments to Code.
A similar incident happened in the second innings of the third Test between India and South Africa in Johannesburg earlier this year as the substitute wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik replaced the original wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel behind the stumps after Parthiv suffered an injury to his right index finger.