Focus on Samson at India nets after Rinku returns home

[vvvslaxman]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/t20-world-cup-focus-on-sanju-samson-at-india-nets-after-rinku-singh-returns-home-1525796

 

 

India batter Rinku Singh has flown home owing to a family emergency and is in doubt for India's Super Eight fixture against Zimbabwe in Chennai on February 26. Rinku was absent from India's training session under lights at Chepauk, two days out of their match.

 

Rinku has had a lean tournament so far. After scores of 6, 1, 11* and 6* in the group-stage matches, he made a duck in India's 76-run defeat against South Africa in Ahmedabad.

 

If Rinku is unavailable for Thursday's clash, India could potentially bring the right-handed Sanju Samson back into their XI and break up the sequence of left-handers, especially in the top order. However, Suryakumar Yadav also remains an option at No. 3. Samson had a long shift during India's near-centre-wicket training. He later also batted at the MA Chidambaram B nets, which is adjacent to the main ground.

 

 

Samson was among the first set of batters to face the seamers at around 6.30pm IST in the first net along with Ishan Kishan, with coach Gautam Gambhir overseeing them. Whenever Mohammed Siraj or Arshdeep Singh banged it away on a back of a length or short of a length, Samson got into position quickly on the back foot and firmly pulled them away over long-on or midwicket. One such powerful hit over wide long-on had the cameramen scurrying for cover and local security officials screaming: "Watch out".

 

However, when Arshdeep Singh explored a good length, Samson camped back, simply threw his hands at the ball without moving his feet, and failed to connect with a drive. During the series against New Zealand in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, he was troubled by a similar length at the stumps with Jacob Duffy and Matt Henry denying him the length or room to pump the ball over the covers or down the ground. In response, Samson tried to back away and manufacture swinging room but that didn't work for him either.

 

 

On Tuesday, Samson regained his fluency once he came up against spin in the second net. When mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy marginally overpitched one, Samson got underneath the length, extended his arms and pumped him over the off side for six. After fine-tuning his keeping for a bit with fielding coach T Dilip, Samson headed to the side nets and had another stint under the supervision of assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. Now a Chennai Super King in the IPL, Samson even obliged fans by signing autographs on t-shirts and cricket gear. All eyes were on Samson at Chepauk.

 

The presence of Samson could potentially counterbalance the left-handedness in India's line-up. Oppositions have routinely matched up offspinners with India's top order, with Salman Ali Agha, Aryan Dutt, Aiden Markram all having success against Abhishek Sharma or Kishan.

 

After the heavy defeat against South Africa in Ahmedabad, ten Doeschate suggested that India will weigh up their top-order options for the match against Zimbabwe. Should they stick or twist? The potential absence of Rinku and Tuesday's session under lights, headlined by Samson's do-it-all performance, has hinted at twist. India will train during the day on the eve of the match too.

 

The incumbent left-handed openers, Kishan and Abhishek, tested themselves against the offspin of Washington Sundar and Varun, who also took the ball away from them with his wrong'uns. They also faced a local mystery spinner who tried to replicate the threat posed by Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza by hiding the ball behind his back before delivering it.

 

 

Axar Patel, who sat out of India's previous two games, both bowled and batted and might come back into contention on a black-soil surface, which was previously used for the Afghanistan-New Zealand match on February 8. While spinners from either side, including Mitchell Santner, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman didn't find a whole lot of turn, they did find some grip in the surface. However, there is expected to be value for shots, as was the case during the Afghanistan-New Zealand game as well.

 

The black-soil surface that will be (re)used on Thursday is also the most central pitch, which means the spinners don't have to worry about asymmetric boundary dimensions.

 

After the match against Zimbabwe, India's last Super Eight fixture is against West Indies on March 1 in Kolkata. If India make the semi-final, that fixture will be played in Mumbai on March 5 in Mumbai, unless it is against Pakistan, in which case the match will be on March 4 in Colombo.

[vvvslaxman]

Black soil pitch is being used again

Sanju practiced against pace and spin. Handled spin well. Struggled a bit against Arshdeep bounce

Lefties practices against varun , Washi and a local spinner. I think washi is not the right guy to practice against. He doesn't curve the ball into left handers like others do.

[Adamant]

The way Rinku is performing, Samson might be the better choice.

Edited February 25 by Adamant

[Ultimate_Game]

15 hours ago, vvvslaxman said:

Black soil pitch is being used again

Sanju practiced against pace and spin. Handled spin well. Struggled a bit against Arshdeep bounce

Lefties practices against varun , Washi and a local spinner. I think washi is not the right guy to practice against. He doesn't curve the ball into left handers like others do.

 

What's this fascination with Black soil??? Who's making these decisions. I'm getting p***ed off with us getting every type of shyte pitch when all we want is a regular typical Indian pitch!

 

IMO BCCI gotta show up and at least don't allow ICC to phuck us this way. We all know ICC likes nothing more than screwing India and are over the moon when India struggles. They're forced to stick with India as India generates nearly 80% of cricketing revenue but they love it when India struggles.

 

Edit: Still recall how every gora and non-Indian commie was over the moon when India was struggling in the 2024 WT20 final. Or the pleasure they took when India struggled in knockouts, especially 2023 WC final. I wouldn't put it past the ICC pitch curators to deliberately give India the pitch they struggle the most on. IMO BCCI has to get involved to at least give India the typical Indian pitches.

Edited February 25 by Ultimate_Game

[jf1gp_1]

1 hour ago, Adamant said:

The way Rinku is performing, Samson might be the better choice.

Messes up the batting order 

[Ultimate_Game]

3 minutes ago, jf1gp_1 said:

Messes up the batting order 

 

True but I would open with Samson to have that left-right combo, send Ishan Kishan at 3, Tilak at 4, Axar at 5 and SKY at 6 with Pandya at 7 and Dube at 8. It may free up SKY to play a more attacking role than tuk-tukking he's doing now at 4. Playing lower down the order may be the catalyst he needs to play attacking cricket straight away instead of trying to build an innings.

 

IMO we gotta shake things up and this may not be a bad option. Better than playing Samson lower down the order where he's gonna fail.

 

[jf1gp_1]

4 minutes ago, Ultimate_Game said:

 

True but I would open with Samson to have that left-right combo, send Ishan Kishan at 3, Tilak at 4, Axar at 5 and SKY at 6 with Pandya at 7 and Dube at 8. It may free up SKY to play a more attacking role than tuk-tukking he's doing now at 4. Playing lower down the order may be the catalyst he needs to play attacking cricket straight away instead of trying to build an innings.

 

IMO we gotta shake things up and this may not be a bad option. Better than playing Samson lower down the order where he's gonna fail.

 

Dube at 8 is such a waste. 

[Ultimate_Game]

4 minutes ago, jf1gp_1 said:

Dube at 8 is such a waste. 

 

Depending on the situation he can be pushed higher. We can always change the batting order but this is better than playing Samson lower down where he's sure to fail. Better to have him open and take on spinners in PP overs. Even a 12 ball 20 odd would be pretty good and much more valuable what he would do in the lower order.

[jf1gp_1]

44 minutes ago, Ultimate_Game said:

 

Depending on the situation he can be pushed higher. We can always change the batting order but this is better than playing Samson lower down where he's sure to fail. Better to have him open and take on spinners in PP overs. Even a 12 ball 20 odd would be pretty good and much more valuable what he would do in the lower order.

Samson has to be in top 3. 

[Ultimate_Game]

32 minutes ago, jf1gp_1 said:

Samson has to be in top 3. 

 

Preferably opener with Ishan at 3. I've never seen Samson do anything if he doesn't bat at the top.

[vvvslaxman]

2 hours ago, Ultimate_Game said:

 

What's this fascination with Black soil??? Who's making these decisions. I'm getting p***ed off with us getting every type of shyte pitch when all we want is a regular typical Indian pitch!

 

IMO BCCI gotta show up and at least don't allow ICC to phuck us this way. We all know ICC likes nothing more than screwing India and are over the moon when India struggles. They're forced to stick with India as India generates nearly 80% of cricketing revenue but they love it when India struggles.

 

Edit: Still recall how every gora and non-Indian commie was over the moon when India was struggling in the 2024 WT20 final. Or the pleasure they took when India struggled in knockouts, especially 2023 WC final. I wouldn't put it past the ICC pitch curators to deliberately give India the pitch they struggle the most on. IMO BCCI has to get involved to at least give India the typical Indian pitches.

Destroy all the black soil pitch, damage it right before world cup.

[vvvslaxman]

Indians should learn to switch hit, step hit.. or backfoot six..

[Lord]

3 hours ago, Ultimate_Game said:

 

True but I would open with Samson to have that left-right combo, send Ishan Kishan at 3, Tilak at 4, Axar at 5 and SKY at 6 with Pandya at 7 and Dube at 8. It may free up SKY to play a more attacking role than tuk-tukking he's doing now at 4. Playing lower down the order may be the catalyst he needs to play attacking cricket straight away instead of trying to build an innings.

 

IMO we gotta shake things up and this may not be a bad option. Better than playing Samson lower down the order where he's gonna fail.

 

 

Dube is too good to be wasted at 8

[tapandrun]

1 hour ago, vvvslaxman said:

Indians should learn to switch hit, step hit.. or backfoot six..

Ability to access both off and leg-side is v.imp in t20 cricket, switch, reverse and scoop are req. shots. Batter can practice and get good at playing these shots

 

Backfoot six is not that simple.Not every batter can do it. to hit 6s from backfoot need a lot of power game and batter has be tall and long lever as there is only 2 areas that a batter is targeting long leg or deep mid wkt biggest boundary in the ground (normally).

 

Batters like Allen, Markram, Pollard can do that because they have/had alot of power game and were/are tall

[Ultimate_Game]

44 minutes ago, Lord said:

 

Dube is too good to be wasted at 8

 

If we get into a position where we have a good start, send him higher.

[Gollum]

Only a Mallu in the XI can salvage this tournament for us. @New guy when will these noobs learn?

[vvvslaxman]

2 hours ago, Lord said:

 

Dube is too good to be wasted at 8

DUbe that takes time to settle down is way more dangerous than someone who is forced to hit from ball one.

[Gollum]

Samson as opener is a good option, because right now, offies are killing us in PP. Stagger the batting order with LHB-RHB. 

 

Abhi

Sanju

Ishan

SKY

Tilak

Hardik

Dube

Axar

[Gollum]

2 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

DUbe that takes time to settle down is way more dangerous than someone who is forced to hit from ball one.

Yes, depending on situation promote him. He gives more confidence than all our other batters except Ishan. 

 

What he lacks in natural talent and athleticism, he makes up with the big dog in him. 

[Manucrick]

Black soil pitch wtf