Correspondent, 24 October: Following India's thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second T20 match at Christchurch, 'Player of the Match' Tilak Varma revealed the secret behind the successful run chase, specifically crediting crucial advice from coach Gautam Gambhir. India successfully achieved the target of 181 runs in 19.5 overs, losing six wickets in the process, driven by Varma's unbeaten 51-run knock off 26 deliveries.
The Indian team found themselves in a precarious position during the chase. At one point, six wickets had fallen, and the team required 46 runs from the final three overs to secure a win. At that crucial juncture, Varma was batting on 17 runs from 13 balls, while Nitish Reddy was on 16 runs off 9 deliveries. Accelerating the innings, Varma struck six boundaries and one six to complete his half-century, ultimately sealing the victory with just one ball to spare.
When asked to explain his mindset and strategy after five wickets had fallen, Varma stated that his sole focus was to remain at the crease until the very end. He revealed that he had spoken with coach Gautam Gambhir sir and Sitanshu Kotak sir prior to the match. According to Varma, the coaches told him, "We and the whole of India have faith in you, if you stay until the end, you will win the match for us." Varma noted that this specific mantra kept playing in his mind throughout the chase.
Detailing the team's strategy, Varma explained that the plan was to take the match as deep as possible. Because the pitch was playing slightly slower compared to the previous match, he had instructed Naman to run quickly between the wickets against the spin bowlers. Varma praised Naman's strong performance but noted that he was unfortunately dismissed during Mitchell Santner's final over. Had Naman not gotten out, Varma added, they would have finished the contest in the 18th over itself.
Concluding his remarks, Varma expressed immense happiness that the "Hyderabad boys"—referring to himself and Nitish Reddy—were able to combine their efforts and successfully deliver the match-winning performance for the team.
