SA vs IND 2023-24: Tilak Varma holds ‘rain and wet outfield’ liable for Gqeberha drubbing

Matthew-Breetzke-and-Reeza-Hendricks. (Photo by Richard Huggard/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

The second T20I between India and South Africa on December 12 in Gqeberha witnessed a twist of fate favoring the hosts as India fell short of securing victory. Indian batter Tilak Varma pointed to the drastic change in conditions following a sharp spell of rain, attributing it to India’s loss on Tuesday evening.

India, having been put to bat first, faced an early setback as both their openers departed without scoring. However, the quick-fire half-centuries by Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav, coupled with Tilak’s brisk 29 off 20, steered India to 180 for 7 in 19.3 overs.

Rain intervened the game, truncating India’s innings. When play resumed, South Africa were set a revised target of 152 runs in 15 overs. The dampness caused by the rain posed challenges for the Indian bowlers, making it difficult to grip the ball. South Africa capitalized on this, with Reeza Hendricks leading the charge, swiftly scoring 67 runs in the initial five overs. Eventually, they clinched the game with seven balls to spare.

“I feel in the powerplay, we gave a bit [of] extra runs, but after that we came back strongly. But due to the wet outfield, the ball was not gripping as we thought. But actually we batted well. It’s always good to play in South Africa; it’s quite challenging. We are well-prepared for these conditions, and we have actually batted well in a tough situation,” Tilak said at post-match press conference.

“The openers didn’t do too well today but after that Surya, myself and Rinku got good rhythm in the batting side and we scored well. But due to the rain and wet outfield… I feel the wicket was a bit on the slower side when we batted, especially with the new ball it was slightly seaming. After that, it was gripping a bit and spinning a bit when Markram and Shamsi were bowling. So the spell that Markram and Shamsi bowled went their way. I think it was a good spell from them. Otherwise, we could have reached 200 or 200-plus,” he added.

Tilak Varma banks on his exposure to different conditions

The 21-year-old, participating in his 14th T20I this year since his debut against West Indies in Tarouba in August, finds himself in a tough contention for a spot in India’s lineup for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Despite his consistent performances, competition remains stiff, notably from Shreyas Iyer, vying for the No. 3 position in the team. The all-rounder spoke of the experience he has garnered having played in different conditions, from West Indies to Ireland.

“For every series, I was preparing to the conditions. If you see, West Indies was a bit on the slower side, and if you see Ireland, [the pitches] were similar to South Africa wickets, it was a bit bouncy and seaming a bit. We were preparing according to the [conditions] and we are India. So, it has been a great experience and great learning going through,” Tilak said.