TimesofIndia.com in Kolkata: “Kotsi, I’m not playing and you’re asking me to bat first.”
Every time India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak fielded Sanju Samson in the first set to bat in the nets, the wicketkeeper-batsman politely questioned the need. He was not in the XI plans but the Indian team management made sure he was attentive and Kotak kept reminding him how good he was. The blows continued to be sustained and determined, and even without an immediate opportunity, the level of preparation remained high.
From being India’s first-choice opener to losing his place to Shubman Gill in the Asia Cup, getting it back for the New Zealand series and then watching Ishan Kishan take his place in the World Cup, it has been a frustrating journey for the 31-year-old. The build-up to what turned out to be a memorable night for Samson was typically the other way around, but all that took a back seat when the right-hander fell to his knees, opened his arms, looked up at the sky and crossed his heart.
It was more relief than celebration, prayer more than winning grunt, and he felt like the weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders. When the arms opened, they would have felt lighter and the moist eyes would tell a story. The strongest message is conveyed with the fewest words and Samson chose none. As he lay on the ground, giving photographers his perfect shot, the last ten years would have flashed before his eyes, even as the thousands of people in the stands distracted him with their flashlights.
Those few seconds felt like a monk saying a silent prayer of gratitude, unfazed by the madness that had broken out at the iconic location. Even when the players ran out, only warm hugs followed. Captain Suryakumar Yadav took off his cap and bowed to his opener, who played a tremendous knock in a pressure chase. Sanju took India home with his steely 97* off 50 balls. Every cricketer experiences moments like these. Having seen senior professionals Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma do it on numerous occasions for the country, Samson simply absorbed their lessons and applied them to the match situation.
“I think playing IPL for about 10 or 12 years and playing for the country for the last 10 years, I haven’t been playing consistently, but watching from the sidelines, learning from the greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and all the greats, I think it’s very important to watch and learn and see what they were doing. I think that really helped me. With my experience, I’ve only played about 50 or 60 games, but I’ve watched around 100 matches and I’ve seen how the better players have finished matches and how they change their game depending on the situation. That means everything to me.
“I think from the day I started playing, I started dreaming of playing for the country. I think this is the day I was waiting for and I am very grateful and very grateful. I have always had a very special journey with many ups and downs. I kept doubting myself, I kept thinking what if? Will I be able to achieve it? But I kept believing and thank the Almighty for blessing me today, so I am very happy,” Samson said in a chat with the station.
Indian cricket, ’97 and the World Cups go back a long time. The man who scored an unforgettable 97* in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka was on the bench this time, applauding a 97* from a player he has continually supported. Gambhir was also unusually calm when the winning runs were scored. The only time he could be seen showing emotion was when the right-hander scored a half-century and raised his bat towards the dressing room.
The job, for both India and Samson, was only half done by then, but the coach’s expression explained how much it meant to the entire dressing room to see a player they consistently backed perform when it mattered most. The wicketkeeper-batsman took on a new guard after scoring his maiden half-century in the last 13 innings and made it the highest contribution by an India batsman in a T20I chase, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 82* against Australia in 2016. This was also India’s most successful run chase in T20I World Cups, eclipsing their previous best of 173 against South Africa in 2014.
“I never felt like I would do something special like this, but I was focusing on my role and taking it step by step, and I’m so grateful. I think this is one of the best days of my life,” an emotional Samson added.
Before this Eden Gardens special, Samson had never stayed until the end in a T20I or IPL run chase, and the entire team would be glad it happened when it mattered most, in a high-scoring virtual quarter-final. Coach Gautam Gambhir, who always backed Samson to succeed, praised the “world-class player” and looked forward to a new kick-off.
“He is a world-class player, we all know what a good player Sanju is. And it was about backing him. When the team needed him the most, today was a day when he probably showed his true potential as well. And hopefully, this is the time for him to start. There are probably two more games to go, hopefully,” Gambhir said.
While Samson operated in zone mode during the tense chase, he got very good positions and maintained his form even when attempting big shots. Batting coach Kotak revealed that they worked to ensure a stable batting base for the right-hander and made modifications to his initial trigger movement, which they felt was rushing him into position early on. The need to correct the imbalance in weight distribution between his two feet was recognized. This had been worked on since the England series, where well-directed short deliveries led to his downfall.
Without revealing the fine print, Kotak explained the technical adjustments in very simple terms.
“I wouldn’t want to go into details. But yeah, we did a little bit of work on his initial movement because we were just trying to create a better foundation for him. There’s no point in getting too deep into his technical aspects. He also felt like he was preparing a little early, and that helped, I think.
“In very simple language, if you try to hit a ball when you have a lot of weight on one leg compared to when you have the same weight on both legs, your base is created better. Obviously, your hands move faster. That’s something. But Sanju is someone who does two or three different things. We have been talking about this since the England series almost a year ago. So it is not something new,” Kotak explained.
It was a night where talent unleashed their true potential. It was also a night in which thousands of people in the stands and billions watching at home witnessed a hitting masterclass. A batting masterclass from a player who was regularly reminded of his class. However, after the Eden Gardens special, management’s reminders to Samson, and then from Samson to the rest of the world, might as well hit the snooze button.
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When he disappeared into the locker room after the usual handshakes, he was on his knees again, thanking the Almighty as the television continued to broadcast live footage of the celebration from the ground. However, the feeds for the next few days would be dominated by Samson’s masterclass.