Tilak Varma scored an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls to lead India to victory against New Zealand in the 2nd T20I at Christchurch on Saturday. Chasing 181, India were struggling at 135/6 before Tilak took charge. He showed great patience and hit 34 runs off his final 13 deliveries.
Chasing 181 in the 2nd T20I against New Zealand at Christchurch on Saturday, India were stuttering at 135/6 after the 17th over. They still needed 46 runs off 18 balls. Timing the ball had been difficult for the batters, and Tilak Varma’s stay, yielding 17 runs off 13 balls, was an illustration of how difficult things were.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner had orchestrated things brilliantly until then. He himself ran through the Indian line-up with figures of 4/21 in four overs, while the support cast did enough around him to make life difficult for the visitors.
Until Tilak did what he does best: provide a top-notch finish under pressure. India's middle-order batter scored 34 runs off the next 13 deliveries and remained unbeaten on 51 off 26 balls, taking his team home. The highlight of the knock was how judiciously he distributed his risks.
The T20I World Cup winners opted to field after winning the toss, and things were going in their favour as they had the hosts reeling at 41/3. Then Glenn Phillips (70 off 43) and Bevon Jacobs (58 off 46) got together, stitching a partnership of 116 runs off 77 balls. This helped New Zealand post a competitive total of 180 runs.
India got off to a steady start, putting 40 runs on the board in 4.3 overs without losing a wicket. However, they began to lose momentum after this. In a span of six overs, India added just 29 runs and lost four wickets, reaching 69/4 in 10.3 overs when Tilak arrived at the crease. Soon, they lost Axar Patel and were reeling at 70/5.
Naman Dhir provided the initial momentum in the chase, scoring 31 runs off 17 balls, but Santner accounted for him, and India were staring at defeat at 112/6 in 14.5 overs. Santner had spun a web around the Indian batters, with excellent support from Michael Bracewell.
The Kiwi spinners conceded just 56 runs in their combined eight overs while taking four wickets. The New Zealand captain read the pitch astutely. He was flighting the ball, varying his pace, and shot-making was becoming increasingly difficult.
Tilak saw wickets fall at the other end and spinners control the game. Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel fell trying to hit out. However, Tilak curbed his instincts and waited for his opportunity.