Sports News | “Tilak’s Dismissal Was the Turning Point”: Sanju Samson Reflects on India’s Loss to West Indies in 4th T20
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. Shai Hope’s magnificent century and Keemo Paul’s five-wicket haul powered West Indies to a 24-run victory over India in the fourth T20I of the five-match series in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 15 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper/batter Sanju Samson identified Tilak Varma’s dismissal as the turning point in India’s 24-run defeat to West Indies in the fourth T20I, saying India were well placed in the chase with Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy scoring at a steady pace despite losing five wickets.
He lauded the young batters for handling pressure and taking on the West Indies bowling attack.
Shai Hope’s magnificent century and Keemo Paul’s five-wicket haul powered West Indies to a 24-run victory over India in the fourth T20I of the five-match series in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Chasing a massive 248 on a relaid surface, India slumped to 130/5 in the 12th over before Varma and Reddy revived the chase with a spirited partnership.
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The duo brought the equation down to 48 runs off 19 balls, keeping India in contention, but Romario Shepherd’s dismissal of Varma proved to be a crucial turning point.
"The turning point of the match was when Tilak got out. We were cruising, scoring those 10-12 runs per over really nicely. Reddy and Tilak were batting really well in the pressure situation. Till that moment, I think we were in the chase. That is actually a great thing to have after losing five wickets, having that kind of control – two young cricketers taking on the pressure and taking on the West Indian bowling line-up," Samson told the reporters after the match.
Samson, who smashed a 23-ball 56 to set the platform for India’s chase, expressed disappointment at the defeat despite enjoying his knock. He said chasing a big total required backing his instincts and power-hitting ability, adding that he would have preferred to be on the winning side.
"Whatever you do feels very different when you are on the losing side, so I am actually a bit gutted at the moment. I definitely wanted to be on the winning side. I really enjoyed batting out there. When you are chasing a score like that, there are no second thoughts - you just have to back your instincts, your power game, and that is what I did. So I really enjoyed the knock, but I would have liked to be on the winning side," he added.
With this win, the series is level 2-2, with an exciting decider at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru set for October 17. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)