India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson played one of his best innings of his international career against South Africa on Thursday at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. He scored an unbeaten 86 off 63 deliveries. However, the second-string Indian team led by Shikhar Dhawan was unable to win the match.

Samson began slowly and took Shreyas Iyer’s lead when they formed a partnership. However, Samson showed his best when Iyer was run out, punishing the Proteas bowlers for it.The right-handed batsman kept the home team’s spirits high by hitting one six and two fours off the first three deliveries when India needed 30 runs in the final over.

India’s hopes, on the other hand, were dashed when Samson failed to hit the fourth ball of the over. Even though India lost the match, Sanju Samson still managed to score the best ODI run score of his career and emerged as a hero. In 63 deliveries, he scored 86* runs, including nine fours and three sixes, but India only scored nine runs. Referring to his injury during the press conference following the match: 

“It is always nice to spend some time in the middle and we always play to take our team over the line. I missed connecting two shots, next time I will work even harder. But I am satisfied with my contribution. Their bowlers were going about things nicely, Tabraiz Shamsi was a little expensive today so we felt we can target them.”

Samson said at the conference

“I was taking the game deep, that was the plan”: Samson

The day’s pick was Tabraiz Shamsi, who went on to give up 89 runs in eight overs and only took one wicket—Ruturaj Gaikwad—in the process.Throughout the game, he was battered, and during his spell, he hit big shots to start India’s innings.One of the batters who scored the most runs in Shamsi’s innings was Samson.

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“We knew he would bowl the last over, I knew if I had to get 24 runs in the final over, I can hit four sixes. I was taking the game deep, the plan was this only and the batters responded nicely. We have some space to improve but we also need to look at the batters we are bowling to. I think David Miller is the best finisher in the world at the moment, bowling against him on this ground was very challenging.”

Samson added