Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has showered praise on Sanju Samson for playing a crucial cameo against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Thursday. Ashwin said if Samson continues to play a similar role for the team till the end of the tournament, he would do his job.
Samson scored 24 runs off 15 balls to give a brisk start to the team after they were put into bat. The right-hander added 48 runs for the opening alliance with Abhishek Sharma. However, Ashwin wants Samson to convert his start and get a big score for himself and the team.
“I will see this from two sides. One, Sanju Samson the boy I know and what he is capable of. Second is Samson for the Indian team. This team, in this World Cup, addressed the opening partnership in this game. We got a better start. If Sanju can give me 15-ball 28, 16-ball 30, from here till the final, he would have done a job for the team. Maybe he can score big also, but he has done the job,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
Ashwin said Samson will not get a better opportunity to make a big score for the team and silence his critics.
“For Samson, the person, that I like, I really do want him to stick in and make a huge score. There will not be a better opportunity than this. I want him to start well and capitalize as well. If you come here after years after hardwork, in this platform, catch the flight. Even if you fall, you can say you tried at least. I would want him to finish the World Cup with a hundred, or that match-winning performance, for his confidence. He deserves it,” he added.
Speaking technically, Ashwin decoded Samson’s pattern of dismissals. The right-hander was caught in the deep on the leg-side after he could not get his timing right against a slower delivery.
“My concern for Sanju is the pattern of dismissals. He hit a pull shot that hit the sticker. He goes back and straight, not back and across. The body is closed. The problem is he goes behind, goes straight, and wants to hit it in front. He mishit a couple of pull shots. Maybe there is no need to change technically, but make a tactical change,” he said.
India will take on the West Indies at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Sunday in another do-or-die contest.
