Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin wants Tilak Varma in India’s Test side. He said so after Tilak’s unbeaten 51 off 26 balls carried India to a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the second T20I at Christchurch on October 24.
The timing is what makes his call stand out. Eight days earlier, India named its squad for the two-Test series in New Zealand, and Tilak was not in it.
India were chasing 181 and slid from 40 for no loss to 112 for 6, with Mitchell Santner taking four wickets. Naman Dhir’s 31 off 17 kept the chase alive. Tilak and Nitish Kumar Reddy then finished it with an unbroken 69-run stand and one ball to spare.
The scorecard shows a T20 finish. What Azharuddin saw in it is a decision Test batters make every session, plus one habit that does not carry into Test cricket at all.
“Today, I am very happy with the way Tilak Varma has played. He is a very good player, and I sincerely hope and pray that he gets the opportunity to play Test cricket. For me, Test cricket is the most important format.”
Mohammed Azharuddin, speaking to ANI after the second T20I, October 24, 2026
Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin wants Tilak Varma to get an opportunity in Test cricket! 🇮🇳🤍
Do you agree with him? 🤔💭
#TilakVarma #Tests #SKC #Sportskeeda https://t.co/km6Shr4IXl
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) October 25, 2026
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At 112 for 6 with 69 still needed, a batter has one real decision: which overs to survive and which to score from. One wrong call exposes the tail. Tilak got it right for the rest of the chase, and India lost no further wicket.
A Test No. 6 batting with the tail makes the same call. What does not carry over is the clock. In a chase, the target tells a batter exactly when to attack. On a Test morning there is no target, and instincts trained on 26-ball finishes have to learn to set their own pace across 200 balls.
Where Tilak Varma Stands for the New Zealand Tests
India’s Test squad, named on October 16, is led by Shubman Gill, with KL Rahul as vice-captain. The batting options include Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel, with Rishabh Pant picked subject to fitness.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tilak’s partner in Christchurch, made that squad. Tilak was picked only for the last two ODIs, on November 13 and 15.
His red-ball case is built on this:
| Red-ball cricket | Tilak Varma |
|---|---|
| Duleep Trophy semi-final vs North Zone | 116* and 51* |
| Duleep Trophy final vs East Zone | 99 |
| First-class career | 1,828 runs in 25 matches, average 57.12 |
During the Duleep Trophy, Tilak called red-ball cricket his strength and said a Test cap was his biggest goal. He also said his international schedule had kept him out of the Ranji Trophy for three to four years.
The first Test starts at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on November 19. The second starts in Christchurch on November 27.
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