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 Kumar Reddy (26 off 13) to take India home. 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.
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
4-5 doubles we got off the spinners and it was really crucial. Nitish and Tilak showed great character,” Iyer said after India took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Otherwise, we could have won in the 18th. 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. When we lost consecutive wickets, thought the game was going away from us.
On waiting for pace to attack, the left-handed batter said: “There was a plan like that. Player of the Match Tilak said his plan was simple: to play till the end and take the game deep, precisely what he did to ensure the win. “The pitch was on the slower side, unfortunately Naman got out, else we would have finished the game in the 19th over,” Tilak said.
“I was just thinking about playing till the end. Really proud of myself. I was saying to Naman that we can stay till the end. Wicket was slower. I was telling Naman we will push hard when the spinners were bowling. Unfortunately, Naman got out in Mitchell’s last over. Hyderabadi guys (got together) after it, and I am glad we (Nitish and me) could finish the game. We need that pace on this huge ground, and we finished off in style. “Every individual is a match-winner, and we got an example of it.
Before today’s game, I was talking to Gautam sir and Kotak sir – that ‘whole India believes in you’ and that if I bat till the end, we can win.
