NEW DELHI: Team India opener Sanju Samson’s golden run was abruptly halted by Marco Jansen, who bowled him out for a duck, in a dramatic start to the second T20I between India and South Africa at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Sunday.
After back-to-back centuries in previous games, Samson finally fell for a low score as he faced just three balls before getting bowled.
Attempting to make room for a shot, Samson exposed his stumps, and Jansen, sticking to a perfect length around leg, caught him playing down the wrong line.
The ball clipped the leg stump, leaving Samson stranded without troubling the scorers.
Commentator Shaun Pollock aptly captured the moment with, “From hero to zero,” summarizing the disappointment of the Indian wicketkeeper-batter’s sudden departure.
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The early setback put them on the back foot, as they lost one of their key players without adding any runs to the total at the end of the first over.
With Abhishek Sharma also gone, at the crease now are Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, both tasked with rebuilding after the early collapse.
With Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, and others still to come, India will need a strong partnership to recover from this early blow.
South Africa, on the other hand, have made a perfect start with the ball, and Marco Jansen’s wicket in the opening over has given them the early advantage.
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With the mandatory powerplay still in play, the Proteas will be looking to exploit any further weaknesses in the Indian batting order.
With South Africa winning the toss and opting to bowl first, India will have to dig deep to recover and post a challenging total in this vital T20I clash.