With Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav gone inside 25 total, Pakistan might have fancied their chances of winning the Asia Cup final. But to their dismay, out walked Tilak Varma, the tall, flowing maned batsman, who crushed all their hopes with a stellar innings of composed batting under immense pressure.
It left former Pakistan greats of the middle order gushing about his attitude and approach with a heavy dose of envy given how their own middle order had crumbled.
Speaking on ‘Game On Hai’ show of PTV Sports, former all rounder and middle order lynchpin of many chases, Shoaib Malik, was ungrudging in his praise calling Tilak’s innings one of the finest he had seen off a middle order batsman. “He played such a solid knock in a final of the tournament. Bohot time baad aisi innings dekh ke mazaa aaya middle order batsman ki. (After a long time I enjoyed watching a middle order inning of any batsman),” Malik told PTV.
The former captain would dissect why and how Tilak worked. “Tilak Varma – if you see his normal strike rate beyond Asia Cup, it must be 160+ or 155 or something. Today he was operating on 130 strike rate. Why? Because he had a goal in front of him. Of chasing 147. Second goal was assessing the conditions. And respecting the conditions. He did that,” Malik explained.
Tilak also eschewed bravado and risks. “Except for the almost run-out (fluffed by keeper), show me one weakness or risk taken in his inning. He snatched the game from your mouth,” he added.
Tilak’s feat of 69 off 53 was all the more commendable because all through Asia Cup the focus had been on Abhishek Sharma and his run juggernaut. “Their team was 3 wickets down. Abhishek Sharma on whom their team depends for 30 percent of runs, was gone. But here comes a man who schooled you that ‘This is how you must play.'” Malik added.
Another middle order Pakistan pro Mohammad Yousuf, was similarly impressed. “Tilak Varma is such a skilful player. The way he batted under pressure – this is what is real talent. Here (in Pakistan) we call a player talent if he hits two big sixes. I have said it before, we in our country have love for the game but not (cricketing) sense. You have to understand the game,” Yousuf said on ARY News.
For Malik the reasons for Tilak’s success went back to how he was developed as a player. “What is behind his success? Experience. System that made him. He’s not played many matches that way (32). Not as many as some of the big players. But his exposure was great, the strong system supported him and he came from that process to deliver performances,” he added.
Malik also stated that it wasn’t going to end as a one-off. “Put him on any stage, in any high pressure situation. Against any opposition, any bowler. He knows how to assess conditions and win for his team,” he said.
On the same show, Bazid Ali too lauded Tilak and Shivam Dubey. “They knew how to assess situation. Balance between team being ultra aggressive and innings construction,” he said.
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