India batter Tilak Varma has faced criticism from former all-rounder Irfan Pathan after his sluggish knock against the Netherlands on Wednesday. Batting at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Tilak struggle to pace his innings on a belter of a pitch in Ahmedabad during yet another mixed batting performance in India during the group stages.
While he appeared more aggressive in his approach, the left-hander failed to generate timing on most of his strokes. He eventually fell on 31 off 27 deliveries as India lost their top three for 69 runs in nine overs. Returning from an abdominal injury just in time for India’s campaign opener in two weeks ago, Tilak had struck three successive scores of 25 before the last group game against the Dutch. Pathan lamented the batter’s scoring rates, insisting that the left-handed top three comprising an out-of-form , Ishan Kishan and Tilak could pose problems in the Super 8s.
“As far as Tilak’s batting is concerned, I had certain expectations. The way he was batting in Sri Lanka, you could see that he was playing with awareness and responsibility. Ishan Kishan was scoring quickly, so Tilak was batting at around a strike rate of 100 because he did not want to lose his wicket. However, in , I expected more from Tilak Varma. His strike rate should have been better because the pitch was better. That is something he will need to focus on,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
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“In the next match against South Africa, there will be a few tactical battles. But according to me, the most crucial tactical point concerns Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma. All three are left-handers. What happens when three left-handers come one after another is that it becomes comparatively easier for the opposition to plan their strategy,” he added.
Pathan recalled how Pakistan’s left-field opening with an off-spinner against the Indian batters paid early dividends in Colombo last Sunday.
“Take the example of the turning pitch against Pakistan. Salman Ali Agha, who is primarily a batter and only a part-time bowler, was able to bowl two effective overs because there were two left-handers at the crease. Similarly, against the Netherlands, Aryan Dutt was able to bowl well in the powerplay and deliver at least two overs in one spell. In such situations, the opposition is able to exert control in some sense.”
The 2007 World Cup winner added that India will need to break their left-handed top three with captain possibly moving up to No. 3 in bigger games.
“If this happens in a big match, especially in a knockout game, it could put India under pressure. Even against South Africa, Aiden Markram could come on to bowl, even though he is not a pure bowler, similar to Aryan Dutt. So from that perspective, would you want to break this left-hand combination? Could Surya bat at number three? Could that be a tactical move? If not against South Africa in Ahmedabad, where the pitch does not grip much, then perhaps at a venue like Sri Lanka where the ball grips more. Would you consider promoting Suryakumar Yadav up the order and pushing Tilak to number four? Is that something you would want to try? In my opinion, it should be considered,” he added.
