Tilak Should Take His Time, Check How The Wicket Is Behaving: Sarandeep Singh

Dublin [Ireland] : Former Indian chief selector Sarandeep Singh said that Tilak Varma should check how the wickets are behaving since Ireland has more harder, grassy wickets and offers more movement and bounce.

Having already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series against Ireland, India would be keen to maintain a clean slate when the two teams meet for the final time at the Malahide Cricket Club, Dublin, on Wednesday.

Tilak, who made a solid debut in West Indies and scored 173 runs in five innings with one fifty, has had two unsuccessful outings, scoring a golden duck and one in two innings.

A JioCinema expert, Abhishek Nayar, who is also a former Indian all-rounder, said that Tilak should not change anything as far as his approach is concerned and pointed out that he has been “unfortunate”.

“I believe Tilak Varma has been slightly unfortunate in the first T20I when he got out down the leg side. I feel most batsmen would want a boundary on that kind of ball. In the second T20I, he played his favourite shot, the one that got him a six on his debut in the West Indies. So, I believe he has been unfortunate. I just believe he should stick to his game plans and keep doing what he is doing. His biggest strength has been evident in the IPL.

Every time he has had a bad knock, he has come back more aggressively,” he said.

On the other hand, Sarandeep said, “Tilak Varma should do one simple thing: go and observe first how the wicket is behaving. Where he made his debut in the West Indies, the conditions were somewhat similar to India and the wicket behaved in a similar manner.

There, he could play shots in a certain way. However, now that he is in Ireland, the conditions are different. The wicket is harder, there is grass on it, moisture is present, and there are overcast conditions. The ball moves, and there is more bounce. So, he should take a bit of time, face 15-16 balls, and then start playing his shots.”

Sarandeep said that India should also test its bench strength and give pacer Avesh Khan a chance.

“Absolutely, it should definitely happen, especially after a victory, when you get the liberty to make changes. I really want to see Avesh Khan play. He’s a good fast bowler, and I have mentioned before that he consistently performs well in domestic cricket and even in the IPL. We have seen him playing regularly and delivering excellent bowling performances. Even though we could not give him a chance during the West Indies series due to the back-and-forth nature of the matches, we should certainly provide him with an opportunity here. Jitesh Sharma should also get a chance,” said Sarandeep.

However, Nayar, felt India should not change the winning combination. “I would prefer not to see any changes. You know, it is a very short tour, just these T20Is. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the players who have been given an opportunity continue to play,” he said.