‘No option but to bat at 5 or 6’: Tilak Varma on adapting to new role in India’s T20I set-up

Bengaluru: India’s Tilak Varma (PTI Photo) India vice-captain Tilak Varma acknowledged that the move from his preferred No.3 batting position lower down the order is a challenge, but the 23-year-old is confident that regular practice and mental preparation will help him adapt to the demands of his new role.Tilak is being used more and more at No.5 and No.6 in T20Is as India continue to settle for their batting combination. While the Hyderabad batsman admits that he finds it easier to bat higher up the order, he is focused on becoming a reliable finisher for the team.After being bowled out in the fifth and final T20I against the West Indies on Saturday night, Tilak said adapting to different batting positions requires considerable work, especially when the responsibility is to close out games.“It’s not that easy to change numbers from 3 to 5 and 6. It’s going to be a bit challenging. But I’ve been working on it. How can I finish games? I said I love finishing games for the country,” he said.“So for me as an individual, if you can see, it’s going to be easier to hit 3. But unfortunately, right now I’d have to hit 5 or 6 because we’ve got that combination up there right now.”The lefty’s record at No. 6 offers encouragement. In nine matches in the position, he averages 65.66 with a strike rate of 195. In 26 combined innings at No. 5 and No. 6, he has scored at an average of 46 and a strike rate of 158.However, the arrival of Ishan Kishan, the presence of captain Shreyas Iyer at No.4 and the management’s decision to continue with the Abhishek Sharma-Sanju Samson opening combination has left Tilak with a limited role in the middle order.Batting at No.3, Kishan impressed at the position, leaving Tilak with no choice but to accept the finishing duties.“Kishan is batting at number 3 now and he is batting really well there. So I think there is no option for me now but to bat at number five and six and do the work for the team.”“So I’m mentally prepared for that role. And if you see the last couple of games, I’ve won from there. So I’m pretty sure I’ll do well there as well,” he added.

Tilak works on his finishing skills

Tilak said he put in extra work in the nets to expand his shooting range and improve his ability to score quickly while batting with limited time at the crease.He explained that players operating at No.5 and No.6 often only have five or six overs to make an impact, so it is important to take advantage of scoring opportunities, including when bowlers deliver slower balls within their reach.“Yeah, we should do that, otherwise it’s going to be a bit difficult. When you go in to bat as a finisher, if a slower one comes to you in the arc, you should go for 6. Otherwise, if you see in T20, usually when you go in the role of 5 or 6, you get 5 to 6 overs at the bat at most.“So I’ve changed personally. I’ve been in that role in my childhood as well. My shots go all over the country. So I’m sure if I hit 3 or 5, I have the technique to adjust. So if I practice 1 or 2 days, I can do any role for the team.”“Now that I’m back at No. 3, I can adjust after a day or two of practice. I’m confident I’ll bat anywhere,” he noted.

Busy schedule, no excuse, says Indian vice-captain

The Indian players have endured a busy series of matches over the past few months, touring the UK, Japan and India. The team will soon head to New Zealand for a full format tour.Tilak admitted that the demands of back-to-back series, different time zones and changing conditions can be difficult, especially for younger players. However, he stressed that overcoming such challenges is part of playing international cricket.“It’s going to be a bit challenging. But as professional cricketers, we can’t make excuses because when we play back-to-back series, there will be different time zones and all that stuff. We’re used to it now. If you see, it’s going to be slightly challenging for every youngster who comes into the team.“But then again you are playing for the country and at the highest level. So, like I said, you should be mentally strong enough to prepare yourself for any challenge, any conditions, to become a bigger player,” he added.

Tilak highlights positives from West Indies series

Despite the challenges, Tilak believes India have some encouraging lessons from the West Indies series that they can take into the upcoming tasks in New Zealand.He pointed to the team’s consistent scoring, with India crossing the 200-run mark in every match, as a major positive. He also appreciated the contributions of Nitish Reddy, Shivam Dube and Naman Dhir.“There were quite a few good things. Especially with the bat, we scored over 200 plus every match. So, that’s a big positive and that too, we don’t have a proper all-rounder in the team. We played both Nitish (Reddy) and (Shivam) Dubey. But both of them did well.”“Then Naman (Dhir) bowled well under pressure. As an off-spinner, he was bowling to the right-handers, that too against a big-gun team like the West Indies.“So there are some good points for us to take into the upcoming series. As a team we have looked at a few things in the bowling as well. So hopefully we will do well in the New Zealand series,” he said.