 "Tilak Varma celebrates after completing his maiden international hundred during the third T20I between South Africa and India in Centurion. Image credit: BCCI")
Tilak Varma helped India recover from a shaky start and post a formidable total in the third T20I against South Africa in Centurion by smashing his maiden international century on Wednesday. Tilak remained unbeaten on 107 off 56 deliveries, smashing eight fours and seven sixes along the way and striking at nearly 200 (191.7) as the Men in Blue posted 219/6 after they were invited to bat by Proteas skipper Aiden Markram for the third match in a row.
Tilak, promoted to the No 3 slot on Wednesday, brought up the milestone by smashing the ball straight down the ground off Lutho Sipamla’s bowling in the penultimate over of the Indian innings, bringing up the milestone in 51 balls.
The southpaw, who had been retained by Mumbai Indians on the 31 October deadline, had earlier played a key role in helping the Men in Blue recover from a shaky start after Marco Jansen had castled Sanju Samson for a duck in the first over of the innings for the second game running.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTilak started off with a dot, only to smash Jansen for a four and a six in the next two deliveries to signal his intention to take the attack to the Proteas. Samson’s opening partner Abhishek Sharma would then welcome Gerald Coetzee into the attack with a four and a six in the next over. Abhishek and Tilak’s counter-attack helped India race to 70/1 at the end of the powerplay and cross the century mark shortly before the halfway mark.
Abhishek was eventually stumped off Keshav Maharaj’s bowling shortly after completing a 24-ball half-century — the first time he had crossed fifty since smashing a century in his debut series in Zimbabwe – as the second-wicket partnership that was worth 107 finally came to an end.
Tilak, however ensured he remained at the crease till the end to ensure India crossed 200 for the second time in three matches.
“Incredible feeling to get this coming back from injury. The wicket was two-paced, and challenging at the start. After some time it went well. I was holding my shape while playing the shots. We both (him and Abhishek Sharma) were under pressure. Today’s knocks are important for us. Our spinners are bowling well. 200-210 is what we were looking for and we got it,” Tilak said in a chat with the broadcasters during the innings break.
Tilak, who had captained India A in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup recently, stitched together a valuable 48-run partnership in 30 balls for the fifth wicket with Rinku Singh, whose contribution in the stand was just 8 off 13 deliveries. Later, debutant Ramandeep Singh chipped in with a valuable 15 off 6 deliveries that included a six off Andile Simelane’s bowling in his very first ball in international cricket.
The four-match series is currently tied 1-1, with Samson having starred in India’s victory in the tour opener in Durban with a second consecutive T20I century. The Proteas, however, fought back in the second T20I in Gqeberha thanks to Tristan Stubbs’ unbeaten 47 as Varun Chakravarthy’s career-best haul of 5/17 went in vain.