Tilak Varma sank to his knees, waited for Charith Asalanka’s flat full ball to land in his arc, and once it did, he swept it flat over midwicket with frightening power. He stood on the bended knee, appreciating the stroke, before his partner Sanju Samson offered him a helping hand. Soon, Sanju too would get into the six-hitting act, creaming Wanindu Hasaranga onto the black clothing of the sightscreen. It was their partnership that powered India to the first 200 of the tournament.

If middle order was one of India’s concerns, rather than a worry, Sanju (39 off 23) and Tilak (49 off 34) established that the team is adeptly stocked. The composition could shape-shift. It was Sanju and Tilak on Friday; it was Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya against Bangladesh; Tilak and Sanju against

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