Wanted: Middle-overs stability! Spotlight on Tilak Varma as India revisit T20 anchor debate before Namibia clash

NEW DELHI: Tilak Varma is part of a bunch of cricketers known for their high-octane strokeplay. In reality, he brings calm in a batting lineup always high on adrenaline. Only 23, Tilak is the anchor that keeps the high-flying superstars of Indian cricket grounded.

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However, the stars were offered a real-ity check by the newbies of world cricket, USA, in their opening game last Saturday.

With all eyes now on the India-Pakistan match in Colombo on Sunday, Thursday’s game against minnows Namibia will be all about tuning up for that big game. With the decks having been cleared for that contest, planning for that game has regained priority.




On Wednesday, Tilak spoke about how the Namibia game here was important to implement the learnings from the slip-ups against the USA. He emphasised how the Indian team has revived the anchor role, with him at the centre, in this tournament, probably after surviving the proverbial banana-peel encounter in Mumbai last week.

“The middle overs are very important and you need a settled batter there. I think I should take the game deep. If we are chasing, I like to finish the game. We don’t have a shortage of power-hitters, everyone can hit till No. 8. So, it becomes important that someone anchors in the middle,” Tilak said on Wednesday. “One or two batters have to play that role. I take that pressure on myself and the others can attack.”

Tilak is willing to do the dirty job, play the second fiddle rather than chase the glamour of being the hit-man. He doesn’t discount the variables in a game of cricket, the pitch and match circumstances. Contrary to talks that the team management had harped on flexibility and only the openers had settled bat-ting positions, the team has zeroed in on him and Suryakumar to provide stability.

“Like I said, we have enough power-hitters. But we feel overs 6-16 is where T20 games are won because teams will hit out anyway at the top and in the death. Having a stable No. 3 and No. 4 is very important,” he said.

Like he showed in the tricky chase in the high-pressure Asia Cup final against Pakistan in Dubai in Sept, Tilak is a man on a mission. His game is flamboyant but not flashy. Having recovered from an abdominal surgery just in time for his maiden World Cup may have just spurred him on.






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