Hitting England's Best Bowler was to Relieve Pressure: Tilak Varma

ND Prashant
26 Jan 2025
12:07

Tilak Varma rescued India from a precarious position of 78/5 and guided the team to a two-wicket victory over England in the second T20I at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Having won the first match of the five-T20I series at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, victory in the second game has given India a 2-0 lead in the series.


Tilak Verma
Tilak Verma

In his post-match press conference, Varma said his intention was always to take on England’s best bowler Jofra Archer, and rattle the rest of the attack so that the rest of the Indian batters would not feel the pressure.

Varma, who scored an unbeaten 72 said
If you see I want to target their best bowlers. If you take on their best bowler, other bowlers will be under pressure. So, (even) when the wickets are falling, I want to take their best bowler. It's easier for the (batter) at the other end also. So I backed myself and I took chances against him. And also whatever shots I have scored for Archer, I have worked in the nets. Mentally I was ready for that. So, it has given me a good result,

The left-handed batter, who bowls right-hand off-break, said as India were reduced to 78/5, he was mentally prepared to be in the middle till the end and was ready to adapt to the situation as per the team’s needs. 


Varma revealed
I know I can play both types (of innings). I can hit with a good strike rate and also at 6 or 7 (runs-per-over), I can bat at a higher strike rate.

Varma went on to add that he had decided on his tactics following a conversation with head coach Gautam Gambhir, who wanted him to be flexible and adapt his game according to the situation, during the drinks break as he was trying to rebuild the innings.

Varma said
Gautam sir told me in the last innings that when you need 10 runs in an over, you can do that too. When you need 7-8 runs, your role is very crucial. So, you need to stay till the end. No matter how you play, let the non-striker score. Your job is to get one or two boundaries in an over and take singles. If you stay till the end, we win the game.
Varma added
And that is what Gautam sir also said during the drinks break. He said that it is a time that you can show the people that you can play both (kind of) innings. So, I said that whatever happens I will be staying till the end and I want to finish the game

Another interesting part of Varma's innings on Saturday night was that he played the pacers behind the wicket after seeing some of his teammates falling to the rising ball that the England bowlers banged in.

Varma revealed
If you see, Archer and (Mark) Wood were consistently bowling 150kph, if I'm not wrong. So with that pace, if you want to hit the ball square of the wicket, it will be slightly tougher. So I just wanted to use the pace and I want to hit it as much as behind. So that's what I have done and it has given me success. Our batters have really worked on that but unfortunately this game, it didn't come off. One off-day, it happens.
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