‘Support can fade quickly’: Sanju Samson warned after Melbourne T20I flop Show | Cricket News

India’s batting collapse in the second T20I against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground sparked a wave of criticism, with former all-rounder Irfan Pathan expressing serious concerns over the team’s tactics and players’ roles. After being bundled out for just 125, questions surfaced about India’s approach and frequent changes to the batting order. The decision to push Sanju Samson to number three has once again become a talking point, especially after earlier indications that the wicketkeeper-batsman was being groomed for a middle-order role.

Pathan, analyzing the defeat on his YouTube channel, felt that India’s constant tinkering was doing more harm than good. He stressed that Suryakumar Yadav should be locked in at number three rather than moved. “As for Sanju Samson, if he keeps going up and down the batting order like this, I’m not sure how effective that will be,” Pathan said. “I know in T20 cricket, apart from the opening matches, no one really has a fixed position and flexibility is important. But in the name of flexibility, you shouldn’t become so elastic that you lose the stability that comes with defined roles. This is something that the Indian team really needs to pay attention to.” Pathan also highlighted India’s experience with Shivam Dube’s batting position, which saw him come in after Harshit Rana, a decision which backfired as Dube fell cheaply after facing just two deliveries. “When you constantly change a player’s role, things naturally change. Playing against the oldest ball in the middle, which Sanju Samson did in the Asia Cup, is very different from opening the innings, where he had scored three centuries,” Pathan explained. “It requires a different mindset and a lot of mental strength, as well as strong support from the team.” The former all-rounder also issued a warning to Samson, urging him to produce significant scores soon to secure his place. “There is no doubt that he is getting the support he needs. But that support can fade quickly if a player suffers three or four failures in a row. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen with Sanju Samson,” Pathan concluded.