Sublime Sanju Samson Shows his Strength as India Hold Nerve in Eden Gardens Thriller
At the halfway stage, Eden Gardens was tense – 196 was a challenging target in a knockout encounter. Yes, there was dew and yes, the West Indies bowling isn’t the best, but still the tension was palpable. India were expected to bat well to make it, and many were starting to chew their nails and bring out their lucky charms.
The tension mounted when Abhishek Sharma holed out in the deep and, soon after, Ishan Kishan followed suit. But that’s when Sanju Samson found his mojo. In an innings of quality under pressure, Samson stood tall on the night that mattered. The thing about Samson is that he has started well multiple times but hasn’t really converted thereafter. Not so tonight.
With Suryakumar Yadav also falling before the team total reached three figures, Samson took it upon himself not just to stay the course but also to guide India to a position of strength. Some of the shots, as always, were picture-postcard stuff. The straight drive off Shamar Joseph, for example, had hit the boundary board even before the bowler could turn back in his follow-through. Tilak Varma too played a solid hand at No. 5 and, slowly but surely, India asserted themselves in the game. The defining hit was the six off Roston Chase and that’s when the momentum turned decisively. Thereafter, everything fell into place.
There is nothing perfunctory about run chases in knockout games. Better Indian sides than this, with more acclaimed cricketers than these, have fallen short – the World Cup semis in 2015 and 2019 come to mind – as batting plans unravelled under scoreboard pressure. It’s to Samson’s huge credit that he never let the required rate reach intimidating proportions.
In the first half, West Indies had played to a plan. They started well and there was a steady pace throughout. While the wicket of Shimron Hetmyer slowed them down a tad, Jason Holder and Rovman Powell produced a very good 18th over to put the pressure back on India. In fact, at that point, 210 was on the cards.
Arshdeep Singh bowled an excellent 19th and that’s when the match was pulled back. In fact, I keep saying that in matches like these you need character. That’s what Arshdeep showed in that over. He had conceded 24 in his previous one, and another such effort would have meant 200 being crossed. He ran in hard and nailed the yorkers to stop both Powell and Holder. On a very good batting wicket, that’s what character is about.
Jasprit Bumrah was good except in his last over, and West Indies, while posting a competitive 195, did not really run away with it. In fact, as the players were walking back, you could sense that India weren’t unhappy.
In the Indian effort, the thing that stood out yet again like a sore thumb was the fielding and the catching. Multiple catches were dropped, some of them sitters. While it did not matter in the end, it will remain a matter of concern going into the big Mumbai semi-final. For tonight, though, it is time to celebrate, thanks to Samson and Tilak.
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