In cricket, sometimes comes the situation when push comes to shove. In Sanju Samson’s stop-start international career, that moment arrived, quite literally, in Paarl.
It was the last ball of the 44th over of the Indian innings in the third and final ODI against South Africa. Sanju pushed Keshav Maharaj gently towards long-off and took off for a very important single in his life. It brought up a maiden international century and handed him a lifeline as far as this level of cricket is concerned. Not without reason did he celebrate by flexing his biceps.
“I’m proud of it, considering the result (of the match won by India),” Sanju told the official broadcaster after the decider was won primarily because of his knock. “I have been working hard, here in South Africa, and also for the last couple of months. This format gives you some time to understand the wicket and the bowler’s mindset. Batting at the top of the order gives you those 10-20 extra deliveries. I tried to do that. Good to see my efforts paying off.”
Imagine yourself in his shoes to understand what it is like to be a special talent, with a natural flair for some outlandish shots and, yet, not make the most of it. Sanju’s potential was hailed as prodigious by everyone who saw him at a young age. Big things were said of him. The media in Kerala went overboard when they saw a player of this calibre emerge from a state not known for producing cricketers of international quality.
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He became a star too quickly. Some eye-catching performances on the domestic circuit, after he made his first-class debut at the age of 17, catapulted Sanju to national fame and brought him to India reckoning. More rewards followed in the form of stardom in the Indian Premier League and even the captaincy of Rajasthan Royals.
Then, something went wrong. He remained a force in the IPL, but not one when it came to the Indian team. Things didn’t roll kindly for him either. He had to wait five years for his second T20I cap after earning the first in 2015. The gap was shorter in ODIs, but there was still a year between his first and second appearances.
More of a stopgap arrangement, required when the regulars were not available, Sanju hardly ever got five games in a row. When he got a longish run, he was inconsistent. There were flashes of rare brilliance. There was also a tendency to play shots with inbuilt risks. These lapses drew as much attention as his gift of timing, cavalier straight lifts and the pulls played with striking nonchalance.
That’s why this century should come as a lease of reassurance for Sanju. He did get chances in the shorter formats of late, without being able to capitalise on them. The list of competitors was growing. Pressure to perform was mounting. The 29-year-old had to do something. The 114-ball 108 redefined him. This was no slam-bang, but playing the situation. There was application and determination to do it the hard way.
India’s white-ball plans are fluid at the moment. ODIs are not the priority. T20I plans for the World Cup in June will crystalise after the IPL. Sanju was not even a part of that squad for South Africa. And he has not kept wickets for India recently. But let’s not look too far ahead. In T20s, things change instantly. Other than giving him confidence in his methods, this knock keeps Sanju afloat. After the hits and misses of IPL, who knows?
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