Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes opening batter Sanju Samson should quickly take responsive action to improve his game against the short ball before his mind starts playing tricks with him. Notably, Samson, coming off a stunning T20I series in South Africa, endured a poor series against England recently at home.
He could muster only 51 runs in five innings and got out to the fast bowlers all the time. In fact, the short of a length ball at pace was his nemesis right through the series raising serious questions about his form. He will now be out of action for five to six weeks due to a finger injury he sustained in the fifth T20I played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
“If Sanju keeps getting dismissed like this, as a batter, the mind will be playing tricks. (It will force you to think) the bowler is bowling a certain way and I am getting dismissed like this, is the bowler bowling well or do I have a shortcoming? Will I be able to adapt? Once so many questions arises, then it becomes difficult.
“As an experienced cricketer I will not focus on someone failing in T20 cricket but on how is he getting out, what is his decision-making is like, I will focus on that. They are good enough players to find solutions and they will think over it,” Ashwin said while speaking on his Hindi Youtube channel.
Along with Samson, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav was also found wanting for runs in the T20I series. Moreover, this turned out to be his worst bilateral series ever scoring only 28 runs at a paltry average of 5.6 including two ducks as well. Ashwin felt Surya would have to change his approach with the bat to return to form.
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“I can understand it happening in one or two games, but it is quite surprising. When you know you are being attacked in a certain way, there should be a different approach to that ball or just avoid it and force the bowler to bowl at your strengths. Suryakumar Yadav is a very experienced guy. He has a lot of ability. One can say he brought about a change of guard in Indian batting, showing the way. But the time has come for him to take some time out and change his approach,” Ashwin added.
