Sanju Samson always evokes a strong response from cricket fans. They anguish over his exclusion from the Indian line-up in white-ball cricket. It worsens when he cannot utilize the opportunities given to him. Sanju Samson disappointed his fans with a tame dismissal in the 2nd ODI vs South Africa.
The selectors have never given Sanju Samson time to settle and cement his place in the Indian team. When you compare the long rope given to some of the players in the playing XI, one has to wonder what is wrong with Sanju Samson.
You cannot play a horizontal shot in South Africa, Sanju Samson- Simon Doull
Sadly, Sanju Samson has been a repeat offender regarding his manner of dismissals. In the ODI against South Africa, he played an inappropriate shot that led to his dismissal. India was 114 for 3 in the 27th over when he went to bat.
He took his time to settle down with the bat. Understandable. He wore ‘Blue’ after Aug 23, when he went for the T20 series in Ireland. After a few balls, he was setting himself up for a big knock. And then, he attempted a horizontal shot and played onto his stumps. he made 12 in 23 balls.
You could see the disappointment on his face. Well, he broke a few hearts. One has to wonder why he tried that shot. The horizontal bat is a nemesis of a batsman in South Africa. You don’t play that shot when the ball swings. Like Harsha Bhogle once said about Nawaz when he bowled a wide to Ashwin in the T20 World Cup last year, a collective sigh went out when Samson got out. We all said, ‘Oh Sanju, what have you done’?
And this might be the last of his appearance in the series. Will India include him in the team today? Let us see. It won’t surprise us if he is dropped; it has happened many times.
We should pray for another chance for Samson. But one has to admit, it is getting more difficult when you glimpse at the bench strength in the Indian line-up.
“He finds ways to get out when at times he shouldn’t” – Simon Doull criticizes Sanju Samson for tame dismissal in 2nd IND vs SA ODI while speaking to Star Sports.
Also Read: IND vs SA: Sanju Samson’s Poor Run Continues In ODI cricket