The middle order batsman for India, Tilak Varma, acknowledged that the squad fell about 10 runs short with the bat after suffering their second straight loss in the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies. At the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Sunday, the home team successfully completed the 153-run mark with two wickets in hand and seven balls remaining.
India made 152 for 7 after choosing to bat after winning the toss and was heavily helped by Tilak’s 41-ball 51, which was his first half-century in international cricket. When India was suffering at 18 for 2 in the fourth over, the southpaw came in to bat. He then rejuvenated the innings alongside Shubman Gill (23-ball 27) and Hardik Pandya (18-ball 24). The West Indies won the run chase thanks to Nicholas Pooran’s 40-ball 67, which helped them surpass what appeared to be a competitive total on a difficult pitch. India was always playing catch-up even though Hardik Pandya’s triple strike and Yuzvendra Chahal’s double kept them in the game.
Tilak praised Pooran’s effort and noted that the wicket was two-paced and on the slower side. The range of 150–160 seemed to us to be a good score. Even if we were 10 runs short, our hitters gave a strong performance.
Naturally, credit goes to Pooran since he batted exceptionally well. The bowlers came under pressure from him. The wicket was on the slower side, making it difficult to bat, so we knew that if we could take one wicket, we could win the match. A bowler’s wicket, that is. Unfortunately, because the game is so absurd, we might have been able to rally.
Tilak also acknowledged that the West Indian bowlers made good use of the circumstances through variation. While Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph, and Akeal Hosein each claimed a hat trick, all three of their frontline bowlers were very economical, preventing the Indian innings from gaining the momentum it required.
He commented, “They bowled pretty well. They made excellent use of both their slower and harder lengths. They deserve praise for how efficiently they utilised the wind conditions. We’ll discuss while we’re sitting down and return stronger.
Tilak has already created an impact on the global stage, despite the fact that the squad has lost both of its first games. He has spent a lot of time talking about the game with the Indian head coach even after the practise sessions on the Caribbean tour while in the presence of Rahul Dravid, who was also his coach when he played cricket as an Under-19 player.
He spoke candidly about his conversations with Dravid, saying, “I’ve known Rahul sir since the Under-19 World Cup. He advises me to practise my fundamentals and spend as much time as possible at the wicket. He often advises me to have fun playing. I was also hearing the same thing from Hardik bhai. He encouraged me to just enjoy my game because IPL and domestic performance had been good.
