India are in the last four of the T20 World Cup after a nerveless chase of 196, built almost entirely around Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 97. Minutes after the winning hit, head coach Gautam Gambhir summed up the mood:
“He’s a world class player, we all know how good a player Sanju is,” he said. “It was all about backing him. When the team needed him the most – obviously today was the day – he showed his full potential.”
Key facts first
• Samson carried his bat, facing 55 balls and striking 11 fours and three sixes.
• India finished on 199 for 4, winning with four deliveries in hand.
• Victory confirmed a semi-final date at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.
• Earlier, South Africa’s 195 for 5 had owed plenty to Heinrich Klaasen’s 66, yet India conceded only 45 in the powerplay, a passage Gambhir felt “set the tone”.
Why Samson’s knock mattered
Gambhir, who has worked closely with the wicketkeeper-batter over the past year, highlighted the control on view.
“I actually felt that he never accelerated the innings,” he explained. “It was just very normal cricketing shots and I never saw him muscling the ball as well. That is the kind of talent he has.”
That composure was notable after a lean stretch – Samson totalled 23 runs in the preceding three matches and, before the tournament, endured a rough tour of New Zealand. Gambhir revealed the management had deliberately stood by him.
“Obviously he had a tough series against New Zealand, so sometimes it’s important to give him a break as well, because you want to get the guy off that pressure situation as well. And we always knew that whenever we needed him in the World Cup game, he’ll come and deliver it for us.”
Kumble, watching from the commentary box, went further, saying, “Samson’s shot selection was outstanding,” while former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis described the knock on air as “clinical”, though he stopped short of the big adjectives pundits often favour.
Powerplay squeeze
India’s bowlers rarely dominate headlines when 390 runs are scored, yet the first six overs proved decisive.
“I thought we started off really well, especially when you play this kind of a game of this magnitude,” Gambhir noted. “You’ve got to start off really well with the new ball, which Arshdeep and Hardik did.
“I think the way they started off in the first three overs was really good and then Axar bowled two overs in the powerplay, which was again a great job done by him. It’s never easy on this wicket on their ground to bowl two overs in a powerplay, but Axar did that really well.
“The powerplay didn’t go away from us, which was very important because once the powerplay goes away from you, it’s very difficult to control.”
Data? No thanks
While many teams lean heavily on match-ups, Gambhir insists his side rely on instinct.
“You’ve got to win every game that you represent your country,” he said. “There is nothing like peaking at the right time. It’s a short tournament, it’s a tournament that comes and goes very quickly. So you’ve got to try and play your A game every time.
“I don’t believe in data, honestly. I’ve never seen the data. I don’t even know what data is all about. I absolutely do not believe it. Because I feel it’s more about instinct. I think T20 cricket is about instinct and backing your instinct as well.”
Tilak’s cameo unnoticed? Not quite
Tilak Varma’s 27 from 15 cameos at No. 5 ensured Samson did not have to overreach.
“He’s batted out of his position,” Gambhir pointed out. “He batted at No. 3 initially. But now when we’ve pushed him to five or six and see how he’s batted. So you’ve got that talent. You need to have that talent where you can bat out of positions. And more importantly, positions are over”
Plenty still to iron out, clearly, yet India travel to Adelaide with momentum – even if the coach refuses to use the word.
