Former India Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara believes Sanju Samson should have assessed the conditions better before attempting an attacking shot in the third T20I against the West Indies at the Holkar Stadium.
Samson scored just three runs off six balls in the third match in Indore on Sunday. The wicketkeeper-batter failed to make an impact with the bat as he was dismissed cheaply.
Pujara said Samson needed to understand the conditions and choose his shots accordingly. The former right-hander from Saurashtra said Abhishek Sharma took his time in the initial phase and thus Samson had to go for an aggressive shot.
Pujara said on JioStar, “He should have understood the wicket a little more. The phase had become like that because Abhishek was also taking a little time. So Sanju didn’t have that option. He had to accelerate a little early, and that’s why that error happened,” he responded.
Pujara said Samson was dismissed on a good ball, but he could have performed better if he had settled at the crease.
“The bat turned in his hands. The ball was definitely good, there is no doubt about that, but I still felt that he might have batted better had he gotten a little more time,” Pujara observed.
Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan continued his rich form, scoring 37 runs off 18 balls in the third game. Pujara highlighted that Kishan is doing what the Indian team needs.
“If we talk about Ishan Kishan, coming at No. 3, he is doing what the Indian team needs. You cannot see a big score every time because you have explosive players in the top order. Their role is to give the team a good start and to make the most of the Powerplay,” he replied.
“Whenever Ishan Kishan has come to bat, he has maximized the Powerplay. After that, you want to accelerate because you have wickets in hand. So, quickfire 30-40 is good enough. Maybe for his personal milestone, you might want him to score big runs, but he is doing the job for the team,” Pujara observed.
The fourth T20I between India and the West Indies will be played at Hyderabad on Wednesday.
