India They will want to come back when they face England In the third T20I of the five-match series at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Tuesday, July 7. After early play was abandoned without a single ball bowled in the second innings, England took the lead by winning the second T20I, putting the visitors under pressure in the crucial encounter.
Before the third T20I, former India batsman Hanuma Vihari Came out strongly in support of the vice-captain Tilak VermaRejecting suggestions that the left-hander should be dropped from the playing eleven. While some critics have questioned Tilak’s strike rate, Vihari believes that the youngster has consistently performed well in pressure situations and remains an important player for the Indian team.
Hanuma Vihari supported Tilak Verma despite criticism
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Vihari said he found the calls for Tilak’s removal surprising, stressing that the team management has shown complete confidence in the young player by appointing him vice-captain. He also responded to the suggestions Vaibhav Suryavanshi And sanju samson should be included in the final eleven at Tilak’s expense, he insisted that such arguments were unfair.
Vihari pointed to Tilak’s ability to perform under pressure, recalling his crucial half-century against Ireland when many other Indian batsmen were struggling. He cited the left-handed batsman’s match-winning contribution in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan as another example of his temperament in big games.
“I laugh when many people ask to drop him. They say Suryavanshi can come down and if Tilak is dropped then Sanju can play. He is the vice-captain of the team. The management has trusted him. He plays the final role. He scored a half-century against Ireland even under pressure. He has always stood up in crisis situations. If you remember the Asia Cup final, he won the match for India. So to say that Tilak There is no point in getting him out. He scored runs for us in the death overs, which matters a lot. And Tilak has been doing that consistently, taking us to good scores.” Vihari said.
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Vihari expressed concern about India’s batting
Apart from defending Tilak, Vihari also assessed India’s batting performance in the second T20I. He felt that the batsmen were overly focused on crossing the boundary rather than rotating the strike, which helped England regain control during the latter stages of the innings. According to the former Indian batsman, better shot selection and better game awareness will be crucial if India are to level the series in Nottingham.
“The batsmen have struggled here and are not able to take as many singles or doubles while trying to hit the big shots. It is not about playing the strokes but about when to play the shots, a little better shot selection becomes important.” Vihari explained.
India looked to be in a good position at 130/3 after 13 overs in the second T20I, but lost wickets at regular intervals during the death overs and ultimately missed the 200-run mark. With England’s momentum continuing in the third game, the visitors will be aiming to produce a strong all-round performance and level the series.
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