Sanju Samson, who was making his comeback for the Indian squad, struggled with the bat during the opening Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka on Tuesday at the Wankhede Stadium. The batter failed to make an impression on the team management by only scoring 5 runs off of 6 balls. Even on the field, Samson’s early dropped catch left many perplexed. The chance presented itself during the delivery of India skipper Hardik Pandya, who was unhappy that Samson failed to make the catch.
Pathum Nissanka appeared to have been defeated by India’s opening bowling as the ball soared far into the air and toward Samson at mid-off. The wicket-keeper-turned-cricketer from Kerala made good ground before diving to complete the catch. Samson was able to make the catch, but the ball popped out as soon as his elbows struck the ground. Hardik had a confused expression on his face as he watched the opportunity be wasted, which made him understandably angry. The India captain later turned to face Samson with a sly smile on his face.
Here’s how Hardik reacted when he saw Sanju Samson miss a catch:
— Guess Karo (@KuchNahiUkhada) January 4, 2023
As for the game, in a dramatic opening Twenty20 international on Tuesday, India edged out Sri Lanka by two runs thanks in large part to debutant fast bowler Shivam Mavi’s four wickets. In Mumbai, the hosts bowled out Sri Lanka for 160 to win by a margin of 163, taking a 1-0 series lead. Mavi contributed figures of 4-22 to the effort.
As they each took two wickets, other speed bowlers Umran Malik and Harshal Patel, both 24 years old, provided Mavi with excellent support. The left-arm spinner Axar Patel maintained composure in the crucial final over, when Sri Lanka needed 12 runs to win and Chamika Karunaratne’s unbeaten 23 gave India a scare. After being put to the test by the Sri Lankan bowlers, Deepak Hooda (41) and Axar (31) guided India to 162-5 with an unbroken 68-run sixth-wicket stand, securing victory.
