Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma (PTI Photo) AHMEDABAD: Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma were India’s T20I trump cards in the five months leading up to this T20 World Cup. They complemented each other while occupying the highest orders by being equally destructive and usable. As both struggled to get their way in the first fortnight of the tournament, their form now appears to be linked. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Both abstained from non-compulsory practice on Saturday afternoon, even as Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh practiced the power stroke for 90 minutes, suffocating in their own sweat under the blazing sun at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
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Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav did not try to cover up Varma’s struggles. 106 runs in four innings at a strike rate of around 120 does not reflect the potential or fundamentals of this team’s T20 batting. “I am sure he must not be happy with the way he is batting now. He has also practiced a lot in the last 2-3 sessions,” was Surya’s honest take on Varma’s form. “But I have no worries about him. He has done well for India in that position,” he added.
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Abhishek’s consistent aggression in the Powerplay has played a big role in liberating the Indian middle order in the last five months. His failure to begin coincided with Tilak’s somewhat indecisive attitude. “The team management has told him that he has to bat that way. If only one wicket falls, then he can certainly play his own game in the Powerplay. But once two wickets fall, he has to take a backseat and regain the partnership to reach the 10th over. After that, we have enough firepower to start bowling. If the team feels that any player has a shot of 2 for 0 or Tilak. 150, then he will do it,” Surya thought. The extent of Abhishek’s impact could be gauged as the Indian batting looked visibly strapped and refused to come close to replicating the astronomical results of the two previous bilateral series against South Africa and New Zealand. “We try to explode from the start. Because that’s their (batsmen’s) template. But at the end, we don’t want to be a team that keeps hitting,” mentioned Surya. “Honestly, I didn’t think we could score 230, 250, 270 that easily in the first over. I’m actually worried about those who are worried about Abhishek. We want to play with his identity. We know what’s going to happen when he starts,” the skipper said with a smirk. Tilak did not take off despite Ishan Kishan mercilessly thrashing the bowling attacks in the Powerplay. This means that the team is not ready to hit the panic button just yet. Both Abhishek and Tilak are playing their first World Cup. The backup available at the moment also does not inspire much confidence as Sanju Samson has come under fire. After enduring an 18-month run of poor form, Surya feels the time has come for the team to pay back Abhishek and Tilak. “Last year they covered everything for us. This time the rest of us will do it,” said Surya.
