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Following India's 61-run victory over South Africa in the first T20I, wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson reflected on his journey and the challenges he's faced in the sport.
Samson raised the bar in the third T20I against Bangladesh and continued to build on the momentum with a 107(50), laced with seven fours and a whopping 10 towering sixes. The 29-year-old's 107 is the highest individual score in a T20I between India and South Africa, eclipsing David Miller's unbeaten 106 in Guwahati in 2022. "There's a lot of hard work and background effort involved. Success comes along with failures and doubts; people ask many questions, and you ask yourself many questions. So, if I'm getting a match like this, I think it's been worth the wait of these 9-10 years. I'm very happy with what's happening now," Samson said while speaking on Jio Cinema. Further, the opener spoke on the quick shift from red-ball to white-ball cricket and shared his approach to adapting the format. "Yes, there's been some adjustment. With years of experience in India A tours and travelling with the Indian team, I understand South African conditions, where there's more bounce. My preparation changes accordingly. I practice on different pitches with various balls to replicate conditions and scenarios. I believe this really gives you an advantage, and I felt that I didn't take a lot of time to get set because of my preparation. My Ranji Trophy match ended on the 21st, and by the 23rd, I'd already started preparing for T20Is. It does make a difference," he right-hand batter added. Recapping the match, Aiden Markram-led South Africa sent India to bat first after the toss. Sanju Samson's blitz knock helped India to have a fiery start in the game. The wicketkeeper-batter played a 107-run knock from 50 balls at a strike rate of 214. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav (21 runs from 17 balls, 2 fours and 1 six) and batter Tilak Varma (33 runs from 18 balls, 3 fours and 2 balls) also played an average knock and propelled India to 202/8 in the first inning. Gerald Coetzee led the South Africa bowling attack after he picked up three wickets and gave 37 runs in his four-over spell. During the run chase, South Africa's batters failed to display a decent performance. No Proteas batters could cross the 30-run mark as the India bowling attack dominated the inning. Heinrich Klaasen (25 runs from 22 balls, 2 fours and 1 six) and Gerald Coetzee (23 runs from 11 balls, 3 sixes) were the highest run scorers for the hosts in the second inning. The Indian bowling attack led by Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi bundled out the host at 141 with two overs remaining. Both Varun and Bishnoi picked up three wickets in the game. Samson was named the Player of the Match following his stellar show with the bat. India will take on South Africa in the second T20I match of the series on Sunday in Gqeberha. (ANI)
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