Sanju Samson is back in the Indian side and doing his job. But is he doing enough? That is the question that has been doing the rounds after yet another brief powerplay cameo against Zimbabwe at Chepauk on Thursday.
Samson scored 24 off 15 balls before departing, lofting Blessing Muzarabani to Ryan Burl in the deep. It was the kind of start India needed, but for a batter of his calibre, questions remain about whether he can go on and make it count with a bigger score.
Sunil Gavaskar, however, was measured in his assessment. “He did what was expected of him, which was to get the team off to a good start. But as a batter, even he would want to get a 50 or maybe 70 or 80 and take the team regularly towards 200,” Gavaskar said in India Today’s post-match segment with Nikhil Naz.
Gavaskar did point to one clear advantage that Samson brings to the table. His presence creates a left-hand right-hand combination at the top, which makes life harder for the bowlers. “You cannot fault him because he was looking to take advantage of the powerplay and the field restrictions,” Gavaskar said.
WHY SAMSON’S INCLUSION MADE SENSE
The decision to bring Samson back was not just about his batting. It was about solving a problem that had been hurting India throughout the tournament.
When Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan opened together, the opposition sides found a simple but effective solution. Bowl spin early. Pakistan used Salman Ali Agha, the Netherlands turned to Aryan Dutt, and South Africa brought on Aiden Markram. In all three instances, India lost an opener in the first over and never quite recovered the momentum.
Samson’s inclusion broke that pattern. With a right-hander alongside Abhishek, teams could no longer rely on that early spin trap. It was a tactical tweak, but an important one, and it paid off on Thursday.
The opening stand of 48 between Samson and Abhishek gave India the platform it had been missing. Once Samson departed, Abhishek took charge, putting on a further 72 off 42 balls with Ishan Kishan to keep the momentum going.
A TOTAL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
India did not just win on Thursday. They made a statement. They posted 256 for four, their highest ever total in T20 World Cups and the highest of this edition, before winning by 72 runs.
Abhishek Sharma led the way with 55 off 30 balls, ending a miserable run of three consecutive ducks. Hardik Pandya then bludgeoned an unbeaten 50 off just 23 balls, and Tilak Varma, who had been struggling for fluency in the tournament, tore into the Zimbabwe bowling to finish on 44 off 16 balls at a strike rate of 275. The two put on 84 runs for the fifth wicket, with India hitting 80 runs in the final five overs alone.
In reply, Zimbabwe managed 184 for six. Brian Bennett made an unbeaten 97 off 59 balls but it was never going to be enough. Arshdeep Singh led the bowling attack with three for 24.
India’s net run rate has recovered from -3.800 to -0.100. South Africa are through to the semifinals. India and the West Indies now meet at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 1 in a winner-takes-all contest. Win and India are through. Lose or face a washout and they are out.
As for Samson, Thursday was a start. Kolkata will need more.
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