Personal milestones are always enjoyable, but Sanju Samson believes they’re not the be-all and end-all of the game. At one stage during the chase against Delhi Capitals, when the match was pretty much in the bag, Samson needed 21 for his third hundred of the IPL season with the team requiring 30 for victory.
There have been instances in the past when strike and scoring has been manipulated in such circumstances to allow a batter to reach a personal milestone. But Samson had the bigger picture in mind, especially as net run rate may come in to decide the playoff spots.
“A hundred is always special but it would have been a bit too selfish to go for a hundred, so I thought let’s win the game,” Samson said at the post-match presentation. “Finishing not out, winning the game gives you more satisfaction.”
As it turned out, Samson scored just eight of the final 33 runs with batting partner Kartik Sharma applying the finishing touches with three fours and a six.
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The pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium wasn’t the easiest to bat on, but Samson seemed to be playing on a different surface. Where other batters were frustrated with the slow pitch with variable bounce, where the odd ball was turning, he stood still and timed the ball to get his boundaries. He played the situation perfectly as 64 of his 87 runs came in fours and sixes, all coming at opportune junctures to control the narrative of the chase.
“I have been working a bit on my initial movement and it has been coming off. I’ve been doing it for the last few years and it’s tactical as well depending on the bowlers and how you want to approach them. It’s good to stick to what works well for you, and allow the hands to do the job,” CSK’s batting mainstay said.
‘Missed my bowling partner’
After a demoralising defeat that puts their playoff chances in further jeopardy, DC skipper Axar Patel made no bones about one of the key reasons for the defeat.
Though he believed their score of 155 was 10-15 runs short, he was candid enough to say that “I missed my spin partner.”
Axar was referring to Kuldeep Yadav, who went for 34 runs in his three overs without taking any wickets. On a pitch where spinners were expected to get some purchase and Akeal Hosein bowled a probing spell, the left-arm wrist-spinner was expected to have a bigger say in proceedings in the second half of the game.
But he missed his line and length frequently and was taken to the cleaners, especially by Samson. When put under pressure, he was prone to bowling quick and short as he was often deposited beyond the short boundaries. When he overcompensated, it was an easy hit down the ground.
Kuldeep’s IPL season has been anything but worthy for one of the best spinners in the game. He has just seven wickets in 10 games, and has not had one since April 25. He hasn’t been keeping the runs down either in recent games, and is one of the reasons DC find themselves in the present predicament.
