Mumbai: You can analyse all you want, but it all boils down to technique. Until you get your game right, the runs don’t come. Even a slight chink can leave you exposed. Sanju Samson is an example. He experienced the nightmare of flopping in front of his home crowd during the last international game before the World Cup, which caused him to lose his place in the playing XI. Now he is batting as if it is the easiest thing in the world.
In India’s two most important T20 World Cup games so far, he has been their best batter. After his match-winning unbeaten 97 against the West Indies, he lit up the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday with a swashbuckling 89 (42 balls) in the semi-final against England.
In the media interaction after taking India into the final, Samson promised to try and carry on in the same vein in the title clash against New Zealand.
“It feels really great (and) relieved. I have actually for a few years been trying to do something like this for my country. So, I waited with great patience, did a lot of inner work, training, and practice,” said Samson who was named Player of the Match in both the games.
“So definitely I am very grateful, but I kind of feel that we have one more step to go. If we do that, then all the work, everything will be worth it. So I feel that one more innings (in the final) should be good,” added the India opening batsman.
Some players shine in regular matches, but the ultimate satisfaction comes from dominating a big tournament where the stakes and pressure are high.
Living the ultimate dream, Samson is dominating the big matches in the world cup now. It is what Mohinder Amarnath did in India’s 1983 ODI World cup and Yuvraj Singh at the 2011 edition.
His versatility stands out. In his last two innings, Samson has shown the nuances of T20 batting. He batted differently during the chase in the must win game against West Indies and adapted a different approach against England. It is about making an impact.
“Yes, the last innings definitely played a good role in this innings as well. I thought that if you are in form, you should definitely contribute for your team in this game as well. So, that’s how I prepared for today (Thursday) and things turned out very nicely,” Samson said. “I have been playing this format for a very long time. I played around 300 or 400 T20s. So I played from top 1 to 6. I have captained a franchise.
He added: “I kind of have the experience of knowing about the team’s demand and the exact role (expected of me) at this level. That clarity definitely helps you to score runs the way you want to. And last match was all about taking the team along. As soon as we build a momentum, I think wickets were falling in the last game. So I had to finish it out till the last ball. But this game is completely different when you bat first. In Mumbai, you know that no score is enough. So after I got a start, I wanted to capitalise on as many as sixes and fours I could possibly hit for the team.”
Samson has seen a lot of ups and downs in his career but nothing tested his resolve like the five T20I matches against New Zealand in the build up to the World Cup. With all his teammates putting on dominating batting shows, his average of 9.20 became the talking point of the series. It even put the national selectors in the dock. They had taken a punt on Samson after dropping a player of Shubman Gill’s stature.
“Yes, that was very challenging for me. I definitely wanted to come and do what I’m trying to do now for the country, contribute and win games in the World Cup. But I think I was trying a bit too much in the New Zealand series. I wanted to make an impact and reach the World Cup level here.
“But you know cricket can get very funny. Even the best in the world actually struggle to score runs in this format. I had to come back to my basics. I think a lot of work went really well,” said Samson, who completely cut off from the outside noise to gain clarity.
Samson’s impressive back-to-back innings exemplify that when your game is in place, pitches and conditions don’t matter. But then again, as Samson himself said, cricket is a funny game.
If Harry Brook hadn’t dropped him on 15, everyone might have been singing a different tune but such is the nature of T20 cricket that one must make the most of their chance and run with it. Samson, surely, has done that and more.
