"He likes pace, and that showed": Irfan Pathan praises Tilak Varma's batting approach against Windies

New Delhi [India], March 2 (ANI): India secured a spot in their sixth semi-final of the Men's T20 World Cup after defeating the West Indies in the virtual quarter-final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan lauded the Indian middle-order batter Tilak Varma for his impactful performance in the match.

Varma played a rapid 27-run knock off 15 balls, including five boundaries and a six, helping India chase down the 196-run target with five wickets and four balls to spare.

Speaking on his YouTube channel after the win, Pathan said, "Tilak Varma's 27-run innings was also very crucial. When he came in, Roston Chase started bowling in the very next over. At first, it seemed like Tilak was taking his time, but they took 17 runs off Shamar Joseph's next over and completely regained the momentum. Tilak likes pace, and that showed."

Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to field first. Roston Chase (40 in 25 balls, with five fours and a six) and skipper Shai Hope (32 in 33 balls, with three fours and a six) put on an opening stand of 68 runs for the first wicket. However, the West Indies slipped to 119/4 in 14.1 overs despite a fiery cameo from Shimron Hetmyer (27 in 12 balls, with a four and two sixes).

Jason Holder (37* in 22 balls, with two fours and three sixes) and Nicholas Pooran (34* in 19 balls, with three fours and two sixes) then added a rapid 76-run stand in 35 balls, taking the total to 195/4 in 20 overs. Jasprit Bumrah (2/36 in four overs) led India's bowling attack, with Varun Chakaravarthy and Hardik Pandya chipping in with 1/40 each.

The 23-year-old Varma, who batted lower down the order after missing out at number three in the league stage, impressed with his aggressive approach. "As experts and fans, we always look at a batter's numbers. Now his batting numbers may change because he might not get many opportunities to play long innings anymore. When you bat at number three, you face more deliveries. But when you bat lower down the order, your role changes," Pathan added.

During India's run chase, the team was reduced to 41/2 in the powerplay. A 58-run partnership between Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav (18) steadied the innings. India then stitched crucial partnerships involving Varma (27 in 15 balls), Hardik Pandya (17), and Shivam Dube (8*), leading to a five-wicket victory.

India will now face England in the semi-finals at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. (ANI)

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