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Ahead of the India vs West Indies 4th T20I, Tilak Varma opened up about his controversial runout in the previous game of the five-match series. Varma was out of the frame when the West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie took the bails off on the non-striker's end.
It was an unusual runout, as both of the batters, Axar Patel and Tilak Varma, were casually walking on the pitch when the opposing team went for the run out. Both of the batters thought the ball might have touched the boundary line, so they were taking their time in the middle, out from their creases.
The ball was racing towards the boundary line
On the fourth ball of the 17th over, Axar Patel flicked Gudakesh Motie towards square leg. As the ball was rolling towards the unprotected boundary line, Patel and Varma thought they got a four. But the reality turned out completely different for them.
The ball was still in play as the Caribbean fielder, Kamil Pooran, threw his body to restrict the ball from touching the rope. He collected the ball and relayed it to Shai Hope and Gudakesh Motie, who caught Tilak completely off guard.
West Indies fielders dismantled the stumps on both ends of the crease. Axar somehow managed to get back in the safe zone in time, but Tilak Varma was miles away from the non-striker's end. Gudakesh Motie, without making any fuss, simply collected the ball and took the bails off.
Tilak Varma on his bizarre run-out in India vs West Indies 3rd T20I
Tilak Varma, in his clarification, mentioned that he and Axar Patel thought the ball touched the ropes and the ball was dead. He had barely any idea when the West Indies cricketers were putting in efforts to run out either him or Axar. Axar went back to his crease in time as he had a better view on that side of the ground, but for Tilak Varma, it was a blank spot; he did not have that position to understand whether the ball was still in play.
"Both Axar and I felt the same way. We thought it was a boundary, which is why I was walking. Unfortunately, the ball was thrown to Axar's end, and he was shown the ball. I did not see the ball. I thought it had gone for four, so I was walking. But these things happen in cricket," Tilak Varma said on the eve of the India vs West Indies 4th T20I match in Hyderabad.
India could claim the series tonight in Hyderabad
The bizarre runout, however, did not spoil Team India's party in Indore as they defeated the visitors by 14 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the ongoing series. With Abhishek Sharma's power-packed 69 off 30, India scored 223 runs in the first innings.
West Indies, in reply, registered 209 runs in their 20-over limit. If India wins tonight, then they will take an undisputed 3-1 lead with only one match in hand.
