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Sunil Gavaskar, a cricketing icon, recently spoke highly of Sanju Samson's remarkable century against South Africa in the third ODI of the series at Paarl, highlighting its potential to be a career-defining moment for the wicketkeeper-batsman. Playing at Boland Park on Thursday, December 21, Samson's stellar performance not only ended his prolonged wait for an international hundred but also instilled greater self-belief, according to Gavaskar.
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"The standout for me from this innings was his shot selection. In the past, he has gotten out despite getting starts. Today, you couldn't fault him at all, he was biding his time, waiting for the bad ball, and then getting a hundred," Gavaskar told Star Sports.
"I think this hundred is going to change his career. One, he will get more opportunities because of this hundred. Secondly, I think he will also start to believe in himself more that he belongs to this level. Sometimes you know you are there, but the luck is not with you and things like that. You get a tremendous delivery, great catch… all these things can actually make you doubt whether you actually belong there.
"This century will make him believe he belongs here. He has always belonged here, mind you. We all know the talent he has. But somehow he had not delivered, but today he delivered not just for everybody but for himself as well," he added.
Samson's innings of 108 off 114 deliveries, his first international century, came in his 40th match since debuting for India eight years ago. Previously criticized for not capitalizing on good starts, the 29-year-old demonstrated exceptional poise on a challenging Paarl pitch, potentially turning the tide in the series-deciding match.
The innings began cautiously for Samson, who displayed a more restrained approach, particularly after India lost debutant Rajat Patidar early. Despite losing his partner Sai Sudharsan within the first ten overs, Samson remained composed, forging a 50-plus partnership with stand-in captain KL Rahul. After Rahul's dismissal at 21, Samson then anchored a crucial 116-run stand with Tilak Varma. Throughout this partnership, Samson played a pivotal role, allowing Varma to adjust to the pitch while doing most of the scoring himself.
Samson's tenure at the crease lasted until the 44th over, ensuring that one of the Indian batters converted a good start into a significant score on a pitch that posed challenges for new batters. His skilful batting was instrumental in India's aggressive finish, contributing to the team's last 10-over surge of 93 runs, culminating in a competitive total of 297.
Notably, this match marked Samson's 14th ODI appearance, surpassing his previous best score of 86 against South Africa in 2022. The Rajasthan Royals captain has been in impressive form in ODIs throughout 2022, amassing 284 runs at an average of 71. However, despite his commendable performance, he was not included in India's ODI World Cup squad earlier in the year.
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