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Too little too late for Samson and India
When Samson plays the way that he did on Thursday, it’s perhaps natural to wonder why he was even playing this ODI against South Africa. Why was he, instead, not on the flight to Australia earlier in the day as part of India’s T20 World Cup squad?
Sanju Samson’s heroics against South Africa in the first ODI on Thursday night went in vain, but he once again underlined the abundance of talent at his disposal. Coming in to bat with India precariously placed at 51/4 in a run chase of 250 in the 40-overs-a-side rain-shortened contest, the right-handed batter’s stroke-making ability was on view as he smashed an unbeaten 86 off 63 balls with nine fours and three sixes. While India lost by nine runs, they wouldn’t have gotten anywhere close to the target if not for Samson’s majestic innings.
When Samson plays the way that he did on Thursday, it’s perhaps natural to wonder why he was even playing this ODI against South Africa. Why was he, instead, not on the flight to Australia earlier in the day as part of India’s T20 World Cup squad?
Samson, in fact, is not even part of the standbys for the tournament. The 27-year-old’s omission can be hard to digest when he’s batting in full flow. Whether it’s the backfoot punch through the off-side or the disdainful aerial drive straight down the ground, there’s a certain ease and elegance to his batting that gives the impression that he’s destined for bigger things. He’s also equally comfortable against pace and spin.
The Indian team management, too, is aware of Samson’s limitless potential. In February this year, skipper Rohit Sharma had heaped lavish praise on Samson, suggesting that he was a part of India’s plans for the T20 World Cup.
“As a team management, we see a lot of potential, we see a lot of talent and we see a lot of match-winning abilities in Samson. I hope we give him that confidence when he is playing for us, and whenever he gets an opportunity, I hope he understands that he is under consideration, which is why he is part of this team,” Sharma had said. “His back-foot play is superb, some of the shots you must have seen during the IPL, the pick-up pull, the cut shots, standing and delivering over the bowler’s head. Those kinds of shots are not easy to play. I believe when we go to Australia, you need that kind of shot-making ability and Samson does have it in him. I just hope that he utilises his potential to the maximum.”
That Samson still didn’t make the cut for the World Cup may have led to a few raised eyebrows. In Thiruvananthapuram, where India played the first T20I against South Africa last week, fans were certainly miffed at the exclusion of the local boy as news came in that a few of them were even planning to stage a protest.
It perhaps prompted BCCI president Sourav Ganguly to provide assurance that Samson is still in the thinking of the Indian selectors. “Sanju is playing well. He played for India but just missed the World Cup,” Ganguly said ahead of the first T20I between India and South Africa. “He is in the Indian team’s plans. He is now a part of the ODI team against South Africa. He has also done well in the IPL.”
But there’s a reason why he has only played eight ODIs and 16 T20Is for India so far. For all his apparent gifts as a batter, he has been crippled by bouts of inconsistency. In 15 T20I innings, he has made only one half-century for instance. In IPL 2022 too, two half-centuries in 17 matches doesn’t quite pass muster for the very best players.
With the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik manning the Indian middle-order, Samson needed a run of big scores to be in contention. Samson, who had to wait five years for a comeback after making his India debut in 2015, is acutely aware of the competition.
“I’m very fortunate that I've made a comeback into the Indian team after five years,” he said after India’s World Cup squad was announced. “The Indian team was one of the world’s best teams five years ago, and it’s the No 1 team now as well. Finding a place in the No 1 team, in the XI (is not easy), there’s so much quality in the team. But at the same time, you also think about yourself, and when you’ll get your next chance. But you have to be in the right frame of mind, and think positively.”
Having taken the T20 World Cup omission on the chin, he will hope to put on a consistent run from hereon in order to get into the Indian team for the ODI World Cup at home next year.
