ENG v IND 2018: Personal tragedy made Sam Curran a player of steely resolve

Curran claimed five wickets in the Edgbaston Test while he contributed 87 runs with the bat.

Sam Curran was adjudged Man of the Match for his all-round effort in the Edgbaston Test | Getty

England's rookie seamer Sam Curran had a Test match to remember against India at Edgbaston. Featuring in only his second Test, the 20-year-old Curran gave the glimpse of his all-around skills to script a thrilling 31-run victory for England.

Curran claimed five wickets in the Edgbaston Test while he contributed 87 runs with the bat. He was deservedly adjudged Man of Match as England secured a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.

Addressing the media after England’s victory, Sam Curran attributed his success in the opening Test to the experience of losing his father as a teenager.

"It has been pretty tough. I was still young when it did happen, but I've got a very strong family -- both my brothers, we're all very close, and my mum's very supportive of all our cricket. I think it made us stronger as a family and me stronger as a person," Curran told reporters.

His father Kevin represented Zimbabwe and appeared in 11 ODIs during the 1980s. He passed away at the age of 53 in 2012 when Sam was only 12 then.

"I do take that into my game. I just play naturally, and try to take as many chances as I can. I don't really think about it too much, and that's when I play my best cricket. I think I've learned that as I've grown up, with two very competitive brothers in the back-garden cricket, 'don't give them anything!', and I try to take that on to the pitch," he remarked.

Curran also mentioned that he takes inspiration from England’s ace all-rounder Ben Stokes as he goes about shaping his international career.

"Stokes is one of the guys I've looked at, to have his passion, and I've naturally got quite a competitive spirit. I also had a couple of chats with Joe Root before I went out to bat, and I was trying not to think about the occasion, just play my natural game, like I have been doing for Surrey,” he said.

"I'm the type of person who just tries to do that and not worry about what people think and I'm lucky enough a few balls came out of the middle. It was just one of those days, pretty special, and it all feels surreal," Curran concluded.

It is worth mentioning here that Sam’s brothers Tom and Ben are also cricketers. In fact, Tom Curran has represented England in 2 Tests, 8 ODIs and 6 T20Is besides playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2018.

(With PTI inputs)

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 05 Aug, 2018

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