Sanju Samson opted for plastic balls instead of regular ones to prepare for IND vs ENG 3rd T20I in Rajkot. The Indian opener was dismissed by Jofra Archer in both 1st and 2nd T20Is, troubled by short deliveries. Samson, who was in red-hot form in the shortest format of the game in the previous calendar year, was seen sweating it out in the nets in an attempt to improve his technique and avoid becoming Archer’s bunny.
Samson uses plastic balls to prepare for Archer
As per Hindustan Times, Samson chose to practice with plastic balls on the cemented pitch at the Niranjan Shah stadium in Rajkot on Monday. He took the help of batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and the throwdown specialists during his 45-minute long session. In the course of the drill, Sanju was seen practicing the pull and hook shots. He then followed it up by playing the ramp and cut shots.
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After his drill with the plastic balls, he headed to the main square when he sweated it out for 30 more minutes. There too, he was reportedly seen working on the climbing ball.
In 2024, Samson played 13 matches, averaged 43.60, and hit three hundreds. Two of these centuries came back to back, and the remaining one came just three matches later. However, he seems to have a problem facing express pacers and short deliveries, given that he was dismissed by Archer on both occasions where the ball was paced at 145 kmph. Sanju will have the chance to redeem himself in the remainder of the series, with three games left. And he will want to do so by starting off in Rajkot. After all, the remainder of the games – which will take place in Rajkot, Pune and Mumbai – are surfaces that will favour the batters heavily.
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