Suresh Raina hasn’t just presented an out-of-the-box idea; he’s created another box altogether. As India struggles in Test cricket at home, the former India cricketer has suggested bringing Sanju Samson into the red-ball setup. The 31-year-old has yet to make his Test debut for India and hasn’t been in the scheme of things for nearly 2 years now.
Samson in India’s Test team?
The 2024 Duleep Trophy was the last time Samson was close to making it to the Test team. In the domestic red-ball tournament, the wicketkeeper batter scored 196 runs at 49 with a run-a-ball hundred. But since then, Samson hasn’t played much for Kerala, playing just 2 matches in the last two Ranji Trophy seasons.
“I feel that they thought a player could bat above Shubman Gill; they tried Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar. I feel the team was looking for combinations. Things will get sorted when Shubman rejoins the squad, but still, I feel Sanju Samson is the right option to bat at number three because, you see, you have Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul on top,” Raina told Sports Tak.
Samson over Sudharsan
At the moment, Sai Sudharsan holds the number three spot. But his performance has been underwhelming. Washington Sundar was tried at the position in the Kolkata Test against South Africa, but that doesn’t look like a long-term solution. Raina thinks Samson can play there, acting as a bridge between the openers and Shubman Gill at number four.
“You need a solid player for Number 3, like Cheteshwar Pujara or Virat Kohli. Sai Sudharsan and Sanju Samson are two players who can be used as a number three batter,” he added.
Sanju Samson’s first-class batting stats
| Mat | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 3888 | 211 | 39.27 | 60.20 | 11 | 17 |
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