Tilak Varma's half-century in the final T20I against England last month, many argued, was among the most low-pressure runs a batter could make. His 6 not out two nights ago in Harare was too brief to draw any inference.
On Saturday, in the second T20I against Zimbabwe, India were to set a target with the series up for grabs. They were three down, and with half an innings left. Sikandar Raza was looking to rustle in a few overs of spin, a variety of bowling that Tilak hasn't particularly enjoyed lately.
Coming into this series, his strike rate (108.54) and average (21.6) against spin were the worst among Indian batters who have faced at least 100 balls this year. There have also been questions raised about his batting set-up. Some experts believe Tilak's pronounced side-on stance limits his range of shots against spin, making it harder for him to access scoring areas once the field spreads.
It is an aspect of his game he has spent considerable time working on. Tilak himself credited the week-long break between the England series and the Zimbabwe tour as invaluable, allowing him to iron out a few technical issues.
Second ball, he was gifted a buffet by Raza down leg, which he swept for a boundary. And when Raza course-corrected by bowling at good length, Tilak's use of the cut behind point stood out. Even so, nothing seemed more sparkling than his ability to play to the field - an aspect where India were found wanting in Ireland, partly down to the ground's odd dimensions.
Here, Brad Evans was trying to fire them wide towards a packed off-side boundary, only to see Tilak shuffle across and access cow corner. And astonishingly, it wasn't a swipe but a clean pick-up shot with bottom-handed oomph that sent the ball soaring.
Tilak's best work in T20 cricket had come at No. 3. It was there that he scored back-to-back centuries in South Africa in late 2024 and cemented his place in the side. But with the team moving in a different direction, he has had to make peace with a future at No. 5, a role where opportunities are limited and the potential for failure is high.
He's also vice-captain of the T20I team. This elevation should have been momentous for a 23-year-old. Instead, it has only invited sharper scrutiny. This is down to his struggles against spin and in the middle overs and also because of suffocating competition for places that left even a T20 World Cup MVP like Sanju Samson on the bench after three failures. It is under that backdrop that Tilak took strike on Sunday, fully knowing he perhaps needed an innings of note to remove some of the cobwebs.
Tilak raised his half-century off just 23 balls, and for a change his strike rate wasn't the most talked about aspect of his game. It was his range of shots square of the wicket on both sides, his manipulation of spin, and the ability to sustain momentum through the middle overs.
Tilak's commitment to refinement has never been in doubt. Within hours of finishing his India A duties in Sri Lanka last month, he was on a flight to Hyderabad to take the field the next afternoon in a Telangana T20 League match. This may have partly stemmed from the need to honour a commitment as the tournament's marquee player, but equally because he wanted more time in the middle. It reflected his determination to bat his way out of a lean patch.
As things stand, it seems like T20Is are the only format Tilak is in contention for. And it is not a top priority at the moment, given the ODI World Cup coming up next year. This could allow Tilak to fine-tune his craft and put himself in line to become one of India's finishers come the 2028 T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where his superior back-foot play could give him an edge. If he can chip in with a few overs - all indications are he is seriously working on his offspin - that will be a bonus.