Hyderabad. Indian wicketkeeper batsman Sanju Samson described Tilak Verma’s wicket as the turning point in India’s 24-run defeat against West Indies in the fourth T20 International.
He said that despite losing five wickets, the partnership of Tilak Verma and Nitish Kumar Reddy had put India in a strong position to chase the target.
In the match played in Hyderabad on Wednesday, West Indies defeated India by 24 runs, thanks to Shai Hope’s brilliant century and Keemo Paul’s five wickets.
The five-match series is now tied at 2-2. The decisive match will be played on October 17 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The course of the match changed due to Tilak’s dismissal
While chasing the huge target of 248 runs, the Indian team had lost five wickets for 130 runs in the 12th over. After this, Tilak Verma and Nitish Kumar Reddy raised India’s hopes by making a brilliant partnership.
Both of them scored fast and took the equation to 48 runs in 19 balls. However, Romario Shepherd broke this partnership by dismissing Tilak, which proved to be the turning point of the match.
Samson told reporters after the match, “Tilak’s dismissal was the turning point of the match. We were in a good position and were batting well at the rate of 10-12 runs per over.
Reddy and Tilak were batting very well in pressure situations. I think by that time we were in a position to chase the target.”
“It’s great to maintain control like that despite losing five wickets. Two young cricketers handled the pressure and counter-attacked the West Indies bowling attack,” he said.
Happy with his innings, but disappointed with the defeat
Samson laid a strong foundation for India’s chase by scoring 56 runs in 23 balls during the innings. However, he said that despite good individual performance, he was disappointed with the team’s defeat.
“When you are in a losing team, the feeling of whatever you do is completely different. I am quite disappointed at the moment. I definitely wanted to be a part of the winning team. I really enjoyed batting on the field,” he said.
“When you are chasing such a big target, there is no time to think much. You have to trust your instincts and your ability to play big shots. That’s what I did. I enjoyed my innings, but I wanted us to win the match,” Samson said.
With the win in Hyderabad, West Indies have leveled the five-match T20 series 2-2. Now both the teams will have their eyes on the fifth and decisive match to be held in Bengaluru on October 17.