Samson Backs India Top Order After Defeat to West
Sanju Samson has publicly backed India’s top order while offering high praise for West Indies captain Shai Hope, whose second century in three matches steered the visitors to a series-levelling 24-run victory in Hyderabad. West Indies posted 247, and despite a blistering start from Samson, India fell short, finishing at 223 all out.
Reflecting on Hope’s performance, Samson remarked, “He is playing really well, we need to respect what he has been doing. He has been playing some really good cricketing shots, not taking that much risk, so he is respecting the bowlers as well.” Samson emphasized that India is closely monitoring ways to neutralize the West Indies skipper in the final match. “I really enjoyed the knock, but I would have liked it to be on the winning side,” he added.
India’s response was aggressive initially, with Samson racing to 56 off just 23 balls before departing in the fifth over. Defending his approach, he noted, “When you are chasing a score like that, there is no second thought, you just have to back your instincts, you have to back your power playing game.” While he expressed satisfaction with his personal contribution, he admitted disappointment in not leading the side to a win.
Samson also defended the form of teammates Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, despite their struggles in the fourth T20I. Sharma managed only 29 off 24 balls—his lowest strike rate when facing at least 20 deliveries—while Kishan was dismissed early. “Ishan and Abhishek Sharma are the world’s best top two batters, I think you cannot ask anything more out of them, one game is okay,” Samson insisted, highlighting their consistent performances earlier in the series. His opening partner Abhishek Sharma struggled and played an uncharacteristically slow knock, consuming 24 deliveries for his 29 – his lowest strike rate in any T20I innings where he faced more t, while Samson blazed away. “Ishan (Kishan) and Abhishek Sharma are the world’s best top two batters, I think you cannot ask anything more out of them, one game is okay. [Abhishek] just scored a really good 70 [69] in the last game and Ishan is consistently scoring a lot of runs, so one game is totally fine,” Samson said, backing his teammates.
The middle order provided resistance, with Tilak Varma and Nitish Reddy building a 70-run stand that kept India in the contest after a shaky start left the team at 130 for 5 in the 12th over. Samson praised the young duo for their composure under pressure, though the partnership broke when Varma fell in the 17th over, followed by Reddy in the 19th. Samson himself got India off to a bright start in their pursuit of 248.
With the series now locked, attention shifts to the decider in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 17. Samson expressed confidence in his team’s focus, stating, “It all comes down to the Bangalore game now; we are very charged up. They have been playing some really great cricket, and you need to give credit to the West Indian cricket for how they have come to our home ground and dominated two games. Now it is a final, so let us see how it goes.” We need to give the credit to him for the way he is batting and we are definitely switched on how to respond to him every game,” he added.
