Having played white-ball games for India, left-handed batter Tilak Varma on Wednesday expressed a strong desire to play Test cricket for the national side, calling the longest format as his ‘favourite’ format to play the sport.
One game we lost there and again we got back. “There has been a lot of learnings. If you see, there are youngsters and also India A, we’re a young side as well.
Currently serving as South Zone captain after previously leading India A, Tilak noted that leadership responsibility has accelerated his growth as a cricketer.
I thought as a kid, I’ll be playing Test cricket first and after that only white-ball cricket. I’m really keen to play red-ball cricket and let’s see how it goes. “I wouldn’t necessarily say it cricket comes naturally. But I began my professional journey in red-ball cricket and played for many years with the red ball.
Because i love red-ball cricket, “Playing red-ball cricket for India is my biggest goal.
Over the past few seasons, I’ve played a lot of white-ball cricket, but red ball remains my favourite format – it’s my A game,” Tilak told reporters at the end of day four’s play.
“Sometimes, conditions won’t always be in your favour, so it’s about how you use your players as a captain. “The result has gone in their favour, so scoring a hundred or being not out doesn’t matter to me. A hundred might have been something for working hard, but cricket is a funny game. You never know what is in the coming games. It’s an important knock for me, but at the same point, I was only focused on what the team needed. “You have great talent in the team and when you have that talent and eagerness to win, then it’s easier as a captain to win tournaments. So, captaining India A, domestic and again here, there are many and I’m growing as a captain and enjoying it. One of the lessons I’ve learned is the importance of understanding your players off the field. When you spend time with your team-mates and know how they think, you can know who can be your player under pressure,” he elaborated.
With India scheduled to play a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan starting on September 13, Tilak faces a rapid turnaround to switch formats, but expressed confidence in his preparation.
