India’s tactical shuffle paid rich dividends in the Super 8 contest against Zimbabwe as Tilak Varma was asked to bat lower down the order. Having struggled to convert starts at No. 3 and with constant chatter around his strike rate growing louder, the move eased some of that burden. Slotted in at No. 6, the left-hander walked in with a clear brief and made an immediate impact. Tilak tore into the bowling with an unbeaten 44 off just 16 deliveries, shifting momentum decisively in India’s favour. He peppered the boundary with three fours and four sixes, combining smart placement with clean hitting. Alongside Hardik Pandya, he applied the finishing touches to cap a dominant batting effort.
Backing India’s tactical tweak, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar weighed in on the decision to push Tilak down the order during the Super 8 clash. He felt the change brought out the best in the left-hander and also allowed better balance in the middle order, particularly with Hardik getting more time at the crease as he was shocked to see Washington Sundar batting over him against South Africa.
“Tilak Varma down the order. Good move from India. I’ve seen this guy bat down the order. I just feel that he feels less pressure when batting down the order as opposed to number three. So I think that is the slot for him in the bigger game that will come after this which also means that Hardik Pandya got a chance to bat higher up in the batting order. I was just staggered when I saw Washington Sundar bat at number five in the last game against South Africa and Hardik Pandya at number seven,” Manjrekar said in a video on his Instagram handle.
“Abhishek handled the slow ball beautifully”
Sharing his assessment of Abhishek’s return to form, Manjrekar pointed out that the half-century was significant for more than just the numbers. He highlighted the technical adjustments and composure the youngster displayed, suggesting there were encouraging signs in India’s batting approach overall.
“Yes, he got a 50 but the most important thing was he handled the slow ball beautifully. A couple of sixes that he hit where he sort of waited for the slow ball to come to him, spotted it very early but didn’t go after it. Just waited for it to come close to him and then the big swing of the bat came to put that ball in the stand. So some very positive signs with India’s batting because that was more of a worry than the bowling,” Manjrekar added.
