The ODI series between Team India and the West Indies was an opportunity for experimentation, as they rested skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the final two matches after winning the opener in Barbados. One of the winners was Sanju Samson, who made the most of the chance and quickly amassed a half-century on Tuesday, August 1, in Trinidad during the third ODI, which would decide the series.
Samson would have had a lot riding on his performance in the third ODI after struggling to make an impact in the second ODI. The wicketkeeper-batter didn’t let the pressure affect his performance, as evidenced by his 41-ball 51, which helped India score a massive 351 runs in the first innings before bundling out the West Indies by 151 runs.
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has expressed admiration for right-handed batsman Samson following his outstanding performance. Sanju Samson, the captain of the Rajasthan Royals, is a good spinner and is prepared for the 2019 World Cup, according to Kaif, who expressed his admiration for the player.
“Sanju Samson has really impressed me.
He had an effect in the most recent game, and he has done the same when he was four or five in the past. It’s probably not a smart idea to send Ishan Kishan or Axar Patel in position four. Sanju Samson possesses this kind of skill, according to Kaif, who was quoted by News18 CricketNext as stating, “You need a batter (at number 4 or 5) who can play both left-arm spin and leg spin.”
“If you look at the most recent game (against WI), he understood it was a make-or-break game and had the knowledge he wouldn’t be selected for the World Cup squad if he didn’t perform well. Samson’s third ODI performance was under pressure, but he is prepared for the World Cup.
I’m interested in learning the team they will face in the Asia Cup: Muhammad Kaif
As India has seen their fair share of difficulties recently, Mohammad Kaif didn’t want to make too much of their performance against the West Indies. In order to focus on the players for the upcoming World Cup and their backups, the 42-year-old wants India to play their strongest XI during the Asia Cup.
“I won’t really evaluate the group of players or the team on the basis of the West Indies tour. Even the West Indies team is having difficulty; they have not yet earned a spot in the World Cup (ODI). However, I would suggest that the Indian team play their strongest XI in the Asia Cup. I’m curious about the team they will represent at the Asia Cup and who will make up the 15-person roster. You must be absolutely certain about the players who will be in your starting XI and who will be your backups if you want to choose the 15 players, Kaif said.
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