Superman Sanju rescues India: Samson’s unbeaten 97 seals chase against West Indies, England semifinal awaits

KOLKATA: Sanju Samson has warmed the India benches more often than he would have liked in his decade-long international T20 career. The India opener’s talent has never been in doubt, just that he hasn’t always utilised the opportunities that have come his way.

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On Sunday at the Eden Gardens, another such opportunity landed in the 31-year-old’s path and this time, he wasn’t found wanting. Samson’s commanding unbeaten 97 (50b, 12x4, 4x6) formed the backbone of India’s five-wicket win over the West Indies, and the ride taking his team into the ongoing T20 World Cup semifinals.




England are up next for Suryakumar Yadav’s men, the final two steps that remain in their climb towards a historic title defence.It was quite apt that Samson sealed it with a punch over mid-on.

A target of 196 may seem daunting on the face of it, but when the chase is on a flat track and driven by batters who are capable of delivering, it doesn’t seem all that challenging. That India made it look a little turbulent was primarily because Samson was waging a lone battle for most of the innings. A 58-run stand with Surya (18) had Samson as the dominant partner. The 42 he added with Tilak Varma (27, 15b, 4x4, 1x6) was more on equal terms. Similar with Hardik Pandya (17) who survived a sitter.

The constant in all these partnerships was Samson, who displayed his array of shots, packing enough punch behind them. This innings is surely among the most memorable that Samson has played, if not the defining one.

Earlier, the West Indies once more showed their tendency of falling apart when things seem to be going perfectly for them. Yet, the discovery of this tournament is that they also have the batting depth to fight back. Jason Holder and Rovman Powell produced that fightback when the West Indies innings was in trouble.

Opening with Shai Hope and Roston Chase, they were off to a reasonable start, if not a flier.

A powerplay of 45 without any loss looked to be the kind of platform they could build on, of course with a little help from Abhishek Sharma, who dropped a simple chance from Chase off Bumrah when the batter was on 14. Losing Hope, who wasn’t as fluent as Chase, in the ninth over at the score of 68 meant West Indies still held the upper hand.

Hope’s 32 off 33 balls would be disappointing for an opener who had the advantage of powerplay. Chase was a lot more aggressive for his 40 and Shimron Hetmyer kind of made up for the lost ground with a rocking 12-ball 27. However, his innings proved to be just a cameo, being dismissed to the faintest of an edge.

That was in Bumrah’s second over and the innings’ 12th. He accounted for Chase in the same over and suddenly the West Indies innings seemed to be falling apart. It was then that Holder and Powell came together to script a recovery. Their unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 76 came in just 35 balls. Holder (37*, 22b, 2x4, 3x6), an asset to have in the lower order, continued from he had left against South Africa. Powell (34*, 19b, 3x4, 2x6) showed once again that his calm demeanour masks a fiery batter within.

The duo, struck at the India bowlers, the best of them, Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, going for 36 and 40 respectively.






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