Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria said that despite being given another opportunity, keeper-batter Sanju Samson looked dull in the first ODI against West Indies. He also said that he isn’t Rishabh Pant and India should bat Deepak Hooda ahead of him.
It was yet again a poor outing for Samson in the Indian colors as he failed to grab the opportunity and was dismissed for a low score in the first ODI against West Indies in Trinidad.
After the Indian top-order scored the fifties, the spotlight was on Samson and many expected him to take West Indies bowlers to the cleaners. Batting ahead of in-form Hooda, the keeper-batter looked out of touch and struggled to score runs.
He scored 12 runs in 18 balls before he was trapped lbw by Romario Shepherd. He challenge the decision but the on-field call stayed, leading to his early exit.
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Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, Danish Kaneria said that Samson looked dull and wasn’t special at all. He said that Hooda should’ve batted ahead of the keeper batter.
“Samson got another chance but he didn't look special. He looked dull before Romario Shepherd got him out. But once again, I will talk about Hooda. Why did he bat down the order? Shreyas and Suryakumar are okay at No. 2 and 3 spots respectively, but Hooda should have come ahead of Samson,” Danish Kaneria said.
Kaneria highlighted that Samson is not Rishabh Pant so India shouldn’t try promoting him. He said that Hooda, who is a fantastic player and is in form, should bat up the order.
“India pushed Samson up the order the same way as Rishabh Pant. But Samson ain't Pant. His batting is completely different. Hooda should bat up the order. He is a fantastic player who is in great form as well. India shouldn't meddle with his batting position,” he said.
Samson is likely to play the second ODI against West Indies on Sunday (24th July). He would be hoping to set the stage on fire and make his case strong.
