Abhishek Sharma (AFP Photo) CHENNAI: They are finally firing when it matters. India’s top order, which has so far failed to live up to many wishes, came into its own with a batting beauty at the MA Chidambaram Stadium against a walking Zimbabwe attack on Thursday. With West Indies looming at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, there must be a sense of relief in the camp.First, Abhishek Sharma got going and a recycled opening partnership with Sanju Samson smashed 48 off 22 balls, setting the tone for a massive total of 256 for 4. Abhishek posted a strike rate of 183.3 in his 30-ball 55, but his recklessness seemed to diminish his thoughtfulness. The lefty’s swing is one of the best in the business, so it’s not always necessary for him to try to generate extra power. On Thursday, he looked to time the ball more than power and played the ball much straighter, making scoring looks easy and relatively risk-free.
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The southpaw explained his leisurely approach: “I just wanted to spend some time on the field. I haven’t bowled 10-12 balls yet. I want to thank my team; they supported me and reminded me that my time will come,” Abhishek said.While Abhishek’s run augured well ahead of West Indies’ must-win game, Sanju’s 24-run cameo also won plaudits. Firstly, the left-to-right combination was a welcome change and Zimbabwe could not use one of their off-spinners early on in the power-play. Tilak Varma, who had to drop to No.6 as Ishan Kishan took his place at No.3, felt that Sanju’s innings was important in reviving India’s batting.“It’s important that the openers get off to a good start; Nos. 3, 4 and 5 can come out for sure when that happens. Sanju did a great job today and the others followed,” said the Southpaw.Tilak spoke about the change in attitude of the batsmen before the match which made the difference. According to the 23-year-old, it was coach Gautam Gambhir who sat with the batsmen and told them to go in with the mindset that has helped them perform so well in T20Is over the last year and a half.“We wanted to put fear in the minds of the opposition; we wanted them to realize that we were going for them even if we lost the wicket…Mr Gautam reminded us of the brand of cricket we played last year and against New Zealand and South Africa before the World Cup. So whatever the situation, as individuals, our plan was to go out there, smile and enjoy the game,” Tilak said.No. 6 is a position where Tilak hasn’t been hitting much lately. He’s always going to enjoy some time in the middle, but after an indifferent 3rd place finish, the team wanted him to step up to the finisher role. All the more so since Rinku Singh seemed unlikely for the rest of the tournament after the death of his father. Tilak said he didn’t mind at all because “it’s all about the team thing”.“I’ve played that role a couple of times for India and for Mumbai Indians. So I’m up for it. This game is about adapting to the situation… I was just waiting for one good innings and it came at the right time. I’m pretty confident that I can win matches for the team,” Tilak said of his 16-ball 44.Another player who flourished was Hardik Pandya. His 23-ball 50 and economical three-over spell earned him the Player-of-TheMatch award.“It was an innings where I had to rethink my style. Initially I tried to hit the ball too hard. Then I realized I can time the ball and I did. Now it’s about maintaining our skills and putting our best foot forward,” Pandya said.
