Sanju Samson gets Gambhir’s backing but fails to make use of promotion in IND vs AUS 2nd T20I

Since the first wicket fell in the third over, Samson was promoted to bat at number three instead of playing in the middle order.

Sanju Samson was treated unfairly. That was the perception after the wicketkeeper-batter was shifted from opener to middle order for the 2025 Asia Cup. Although Samson lost his preferred position, Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav supported him.

Samson gets promoted

But there were still several critics. And perhaps they were right as well. Against Bangladesh, Samson didn’t even bat and was listed at number 8. But he knew his role. The management wanted the batting order to be flexible, and that’s why he was promoted before as well.

Something similar happened in the India vs Australia 2nd T20I, where Samson was sent to bat at number 3. Shubman Gill had departed in the 3rd over, and the management decided to send the wicketkeeper early, since he regularly plays as an opener or top-order batter.

Not Hazlewood, Ellis gets him

But the challenge wasn’t easy. Samson had to play Josh Hazlewood, who finished his spell in the 7th over itself and took the wickets of Gill, Suryakumar, and Tilak Varma. The bowler was spitting fire in Melbourne. But Samson didn’t go out to him.

Nathan Ellis was the man who got him. There was help on the surface for fast bowlers, and even though Ellis was the least threatening, it was enough for him to get Samson’s wicket just 6 balls after Gill got out.

In the four balls that Samson faced, he was troubled by pace, bounce, and movement off the surface. He cut Hazlewood for 2 runs on his first ball but was beaten by the bounce he generates on his second ball. Luckily, he didn’t play him again. Frankly, Samson didn’t last long enough to face him.

Being a backfoot player, Samson was stuck to the crease. But this didn’t help against Hazlewood; he beat him for bounce, and then Ellis exploited this by pitching the ball further up. He got one to seam away and beat Samson. On the very next ball, Ellis brought the ball in, and the wicketkeeper was trapped in front of the wicket.