Abhishek Nayar: Recall Sanju Samson Only if He Bats in the Top Three

Abhishek Nayar has cautioned India against recalling Sanju Samson for the fourth T20I against England unless he is given a role in which he can thrive.

The context

Samson was dropped after scoring just six runs in three innings on the tour of the United Kingdom, including two appearances against Ireland. With India 2-0 down in the five-match series, calls for his return have grown before the fourth match at the County Ground in Bristol.

Nayar’s view

Asked about swapping the out-of-form Tilak Varma for Samson, Nayar said India should not disturb the team’s balance. Samson, he pointed out, has done his best work as an opener or at No. 3, and has not done much at Nos. 4 to 6 or succeeded there. If he cannot be placed in the top three, Nayar felt it would be better to stay with the current batting line-up.

Tilak has had a mixed tour, with one half-century in five innings. A natural No. 3, he has been moved down the order to make room for Ishan Kishan at the top.

No panic button

Nayar advised management against knee-jerk changes. He said the batters need to read English conditions better and improve their game awareness. Referring to Gautam Gambhir’s point that India made about 190 in two innings while batting first, he said they struggled when chasing because they had not judged conditions or found the right tempo.

He concluded that changes should not be made for the sake of it, and that if Samson comes in, the only task is to put him where he can succeed.