Key Points
- Sanju Samson has managed just 40 runs in four innings since being brought back as the opener.
- India's opening stands in the first four games read: 18, 6, 0 and 0.
- Ishan Kishan could be in line to replace Samson if India decide to make a change.
India's bold experiment backfired as New Zealand handed them a 50-run thrashing in the third T20 International in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
Having already sealed the five-match series 3-0, India went with five batters as Ishan Kishan was rested because of a niggle within Arshdeep Singh coming into the playing XI. However, the move didn't pay off for the Indians as they failed to chase down 216 on a good batting pitch.
More than the defeat what will worry India is the form of their opener Sanju Samson, who once again failed to get back among the runs.
Samson failed to make most of a promising start, as he was dismissed for 24 from 15 balls, with three fours and a six.
The right-hander played a nothing shot, as he made room to hit spinner Mitchell Santner through the off-side but
Samson hit a few cracking boundaries to rally India after the early dismissals of Abhishek Sharma (0) and Suryakumar Yadav (8). He cracked two fours off Matt Henry in the third over and played a wonderful flick off pacer Jacob Duffy for a six over midwicket before losing his wicket, trying to take a risk against the wily Santner.
Samson, 31, has managed just 40 runs in four innings since being brought back as the opener. He had earlier given way to Shubman Gill, who was then dropped after a string of low scores, before the wicketkeeper-batter was brought back.
The opening department continues to be a big headache for India ahead of the T20 World Cup. Abhishek Sharma's dismissal for a first-ball duck was the second match in a row that India lost a wicket off the first ball of their innings after Samson had fallen for a golden duck in the third match in Guwahati on Sunday.
India's opening stands in the first four games read: 18, 6, 0 and 0.
Will Samson get another lifeline, in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand at his home ground in Thiruvananthapuram, on Saturday?
Or will the the in-form Kishan, who smashed an entertaining 32-ball 76 in the second match, replace Samson as the opener?
With Tilak Varma expected to be fit for the T20 World Cup, he could return to his preferred slot at No. 3, with Kishan likely to challenge Samson for the opening slot.
India are faced with a complex situation heading into the T20 World Cup. Do they continue to experiment and risk losing another match or do they pick their best XI and look to end the series on a high?
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