Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar heaped praise on Sanju Samson for his mature knock against South Africa in the series decider on Thursday. After losing the Indian openers inside the powerplay, the 29-year-old applied himself in the middle overs before taking on the bowlers.
Sanju Samson finally scored his first international century against South Africa in the series decider in Paarl. Samson, who came to the crease with India 45/2, showed patience and remained a calming presence on the field at one end. On his way to the maiden century, he smashed six fours and three sixes, leading India to reach a competitive score of 296/8 in fifty overs.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar was particularly impressed with Sanju Samson’s knock against South Africa in the 3rd ODI game and his ability to sponge pressure and control his aggressive instinct after important dismissals early on added value to his ton.
Had Sanju Samson got a blazing 100 in 80 balls, you would have said well done Sanju! But that he came into bat in the 5th over & got his 100 in the 44th over & played to the team needs, seemingly against his nature, my admiration for Samson has grown considerably today! 👏👏👏
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) December 21, 2023
“Had Sanju Samson got a blazing 100 in 80 balls, you would have said well done Sanju! But that he came into bat in the 5th over & got his 100 in the 44th over & played to the team needs, seemingly against his nature, my admiration for Samson has grown considerably today!” Sanjay Manjrekar wrote on his X handle.
Sanju Samson is an aggressive batsman who usually bats in the finisher role in ODIs and T20Is. In the third ODI, however, the wicketkeeper-batter was elevated to number three and delivered an outstanding effort to help the Indian team achieve a respectable total in the match.
Have Been Putting A Lot Of Work Physically And Mentally – Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson was overjoyed with his knock against South Africa. He disclosed that he worked hard on his physical and mental fitness and that the conditions for batters to bat in Paarl were difficult.
“Feels really emotional, going through the emotions now. Very happy to achieve this. Have been putting in a lot of work physically and mentally, happy to see the results go my way now,” Sanju Samson said.
“They bowled really well with the new ball, and the older ball was getting slower and more difficult to bat. So after KL got out, they had the momentum where Maharaj was bowling very well.” Sanju Samson added.
Sanju Samson’s ability to win matches for India at the highest level has been hotly debated, but his lack of consistency has been a cause of concern over the years. The keeper-batsman will be looking to build on his present form and continue scoring runs for India at the top level.
