Online Sports Desk
The architect of India’s win over New Zealand, Tilak Varma, recalled on Saturday how head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had backed him before the match, telling him that the whole country believed in him and urging him to bat till the end. Chasing 180 for 5, India seemed out of it, especially when the required run rate crept up and India slipped to 112 for 6 in the 15th over. Tilak then came to the crease and shared two crucial partnerships: 42 runs off 25 balls with Naman Dhir (31 off 17) and an unbeaten 69 off 30 balls with Nitish Reddy (26 off 13) to take India home.
“I was just thinking about playing till the end. Just before today’s game, I was talking with coach Gautam sir and Sitanshu Kotak sir. I was talking with both of them, and they said one thing: ‘We all believe, and the whole of India believes in you. If you stay till the end, then you will win the game for us’. Really proud of myself. I was saying to Naman that we can stay till the end. The wicket was slow. I was telling Naman we will push hard when the spinners were bowling. Unfortunately, Naman got out in Mitchell’s last over. Otherwise, we could have won in the 18th. Hyderabadi guys (got together) after it, and I am glad we (Nitish and me) could finish the game.”
On waiting for pace to attack, the left-handed batter said: “There was a plan like that. 4-5 doubles we got off the spinners and it was really crucial. We need that pace on this huge ground, and we finished off in style.”
Every individual is a match-winner
India captain Shreyas Iyer feared the game was slipping away after his side lost consecutive wickets but praised Tilak and Nitish for showing character to secure the win.
“Every individual is a match-winner, and we got an example of it. When we lost consecutive wickets, I thought the game was going away from us. Nitish and Tilak showed great character,” Iyer said after India took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
“Dhir also played a crucial innings. He (Dhir) is a phenomenal bowler too, and he brings in a lot of character. He is a comprehensive player.”
The skipper felt India didn’t have the best of starts to their chase.
“We played a lot of dot balls initially and that piled up the run rate. When we went in, we wanted to cruise but they (NZ spinners) bowled beautifully. If we had picked gaps and got boundaries, we could have cruised.”
Iyer also said the message to the fielders was clear, be alert on the ground.
“The message was to anticipate every ball that is coming to you, so that the opposition thinks twice about running twos,” he said.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santer said the bowlers started the defence beautifully, but the Indian batters set up the chase really well after losing a couple of early wickets.
“They (India) played very well, and if we had gotten one more wicket (we could have won). They set up the chase really well. The way the guys started, it was outstanding. If they get off to a flier, it is tough. We did well to pull them back,” he said.
“Couple of No balls, a No ball wicket, stuff like that hurts (you). Those little moments, in the field or sloppy moments, that have hurt us a little.”
Santner lauded the batting efforts of Glen Phillips (70 off 43) and Bevon Jacobs (58 off 46).
