Sanju Samson said Tilak Varma’s wicket was the turning point in India’s Hyderabad defeat against West Indies on Wednesday night. "The turning point of the match was when Tilak got out," Samson said. India chased 248 runs but fell short by 24 runs after the middle-order partnership finally got broken.
When Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy joined forces on Wednesday night, India's 248-run chase had looked improbable. Still, as their partnership flourished, it gave the home side hope of pulling off a thriller over the West Indies. With 48 needed from 19 balls, Romario Shepherd induced a false shot from Tilak. From there on, it was one-way traffic, with West Indies winning by 24 runs in the end in Hyderabad.
India opener Sanju Samson, who set the start ablaze with a sparkling half-century, rued Tilak's dismissal as the tipping point.
"The turning point of the match was when Tilak got out. We were cruising through the game; we were scoring those 10-20 runs really nicely, Reddy and Tilak were taking the pressure, and they were batting really well, so till that moment we were in the chase," Samson told reporters after the fourth T20I.
India were in a bit of a pickle when the duo got together at 130/5, still needing 118 runs from 50 deliveries. Samson was delighted with the fightback the side put up despite losing wickets in a cluster through the middle overs.
"That is a great thing to have actually, even after losing five wickets: having that kind of control, with two young cricketers taking on the pressure and the West Indian bowling lineup."
Although it was an impressive fightback, the lower-order partnership had too much to do in the end. "To be very honest, these things happen; mistakes are bound to happen. We just have to keep going and be positive," Samson said.
Ishan Kishan (6 off 3) and Abhishek Sharma (29 off 24) had an off day, but Samson was adamant about the quality both southpaws possess. "Ishan and Abhishek are the world's best top two batters; you can't ask anything more of them. One game is okay; Abhishek just scored a really good 70 in the last game, and Ishan is consistently scoring a lot of runs, so I think one game is totally fine."
The failure of his fellow opener didn't stop Samson. It was a day he took the onus and gave India the initial turbocharge with his 23-ball 56. Despite the half-century, the Kerala-based batter said he was gutted. "It feels very different when you are on the losing side, so I am actually a bit gutted at the moment. I definitely wanted to be on the winning side; I think my contribution should have been on the winning side," he said.
"I really enjoyed batting down there. When you are chasing a score like that, there is no second thought; you just have to back your instincts, you have to back your power-playing game, and that is what I did actually," he added.
With the win, West Indies have levelled the series 2-2, and the final T20I will be played on Saturday in Bengaluru. "We are very charged up; we want to go out there and compete against them. They have been playing some really great cricket; you need to give credit to the West Indies for how they have come to our home ground and dominated two games. It's a final, so let's see how it goes," concluded Samson.