I wanted to take on England's best bowler as others too will feel pressure: Tilak on Archer assault
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Chennai (PTI): India's middle-order batter Tilak Varma said his breathtaking assault on pacer Jofra Archer in the second T20I here was pre-planned and was intended to neutralise England's best bowler, which in turn demoralised the rest of the pack.
Tilak, who made an unbeaten 72 off 55 balls, creamed Archer for four sixes, including a scarcely believable pick-up flick over deep fine leg, as the Sussex man leaked 60 runs in his four overs at Chepauk on Saturday.
"I wanted to target their best bowler. If you take on the best bowler, other bowlers will be under pressure. So, when the wickets are falling (at the other end), I want to take on their best bowlers," Tilak said in the post-match press conference.
"If I do that it makes it easier (for other batters). So, I backed myself and took chances against him and also whatever shots that I have played against Archer, I have worked in the nets, mentally I was ready for them. So it has given me a good result," he added.
Tilak said he was mentally prepared to stay till the end and was ready to tweak his game according to the team's needs.
"I said (to myself) that whatever happens, I will be staying till the end, and I wanted to finish the game. I had a chat with Gautam (Gambhir) sir during the last match. I can play with a strike-rate of 6 or 7 or above 10, as per the team's requirement. He also said during the drinks break (here). It is a time that you can show the people that you can play both type of innings. Happy that it paid off," he said.
The 22-year-old showed immense calculation to use the pace of the English pacers and found gap with surgical precision to accumulate runs without taking much risk.
The Hyderabadi then gave an elaborate peek into his game plan at the MAChidambaram Stadium.
"The wicket was double-paced and quite challenging. With the kind of pace (England bowlers were bowling), it will be tough to hit square of the wicket.
"So, I just wanted to use the pace and hit as much as I can behind (in the V behind the wicketkeeper). So, that's what I have done and it has given me success," he said.
India won the match by two wickets to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
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Cong alleges its Rithala candidate 'assaulted' by EC official
New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI): The Congress alleged Saturday its Rithala candidate Sushant Mishra was assaulted by a poll official, and demanded a thorough probe into the incident and action against him.
Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed Sushant Mishra was assaulted by an Election Commission of India official on Saturday.
He alleged the official also attempted to prevent Mishra from undertaking a Padayatra for which the Delhi Police had already given permission.
In a post on X, Ramesh said, "@sushant_m has been actively taking up violations of the Model Code of Conduct by other candidates in the ongoing Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections. This unprecedented and illegal act of partisanship by an official of a Constitutional body like the ECI can only be seen as a desperate attempt by the AAP and BJP to stem the surge of support for his candidacy and that of the Congress Party in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections"
Ramesh said the Congress remains undaunted and will continue to raise the voice of people and protect the sanctity of elections.
"To preserve the integrity of the electoral process, the Indian National Congress demands a full inquiry into the incident and immediate corrective action against the concerned official," the Congress leader demanded.
Mishra has also separately written to the returning office and Chief Electoral officer and the Election Commission about the incident, demanding action against the accused.
.@INCIndia के रिठाला विधानसभा के उम्मीदवार सुशांत मिश्रा (@sushant_m) पर कल @ECISVEEP के एक अधिकारी ने हमला करके उन्हें घायल कर दिया। अधिकारी ने उन्हें पदयात्रा करने से रोकने का भी प्रयास किया, जिसके लिए दिल्ली पुलिस ने पहले ही अनुमति दे दी थी।
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 26, 2025
सुशांत मिश्रा दिल्ली विधानसभा… pic.twitter.com/sQ7I6EIvvY
