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Cricket Players'Samson did score 86 runs but there was lack of intent...': Pakistan star's no-nonsense opinion on batter after 1st ODI
Sanju Samson brought India tantalisingly close to pulling off an unlikely chase against South Africa in the first ODI.
Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is the one who brought India tantalisingly close to completing an improbable chase in the first ODI, smashing 14 runs off the first three balls of the last over with his team needing 31 runs from it. Bowler Tabraiz Shamsi had started the over with a wide which meant that India needed 19 to win off the last four balls but Samson was not able to knock off the extraordinarily cheap target, bringing India's margin of defeat down to nine runs.
While Samson ended up with a score of 86 not out off just 63 balls, he took his time to get going on what was a tricky pitch. However, veteran Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal feels that Samson should have attacked from the first ball like it was a T20 match.
"Sanju Samson took his time initially. It would have been a different story if he had attacked right from the start. He did score 86 runs in the match, but there was a lack of intent in the first 30-35 balls that he faced. He lacks experience when it comes to playing against a big team," said Akmal on his Youtube page.
The other prominent figure in the chase, and the one who was anchoring it while India's top order crumbled, was Shreyas Iyer, who scored 50 off 37 balls. "Shreyas Iyer showed how an experienced batter would play in such crucial situations, scoring quick runs and generating momentum. He did a fine job. If he hadn't got out, India could have gone on to win the match," said Akmal.
Akmal also said that the pace of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan's innings also had an impact on the result Gaikwad scored 19 off 42 balls while Kishan scored 20 in 37. "The target was quite gettable. Ruturaj should have played a bit faster. Even Ishan Kishan played quite slow. They should have maintained a better scoring rate, considering that it was a 40-over game. India would have chased the total if they hadn't played slowly at that stage," he said.
