Christchurch/Chennai: India were untouchable on Thursday. Despite New Zealand scoring 225 in their 2o overs in the first T20I of the five-match series, India comfortably reached the target with two balls to spare. Though the bowlers seemed listless, the batter just massacred the home team bowlers, especially in the first six overs.
Among them was opener Sanju Samson who was in a blistering form and was comfortably sending the ball to all corners of the ground. Though there were two moments when he seamed beaten with in-coming deliveries but otherwise his shots were crisp and off the middle. The India opener later said that killing games in the powerplay is important for the team. Samson scored a 33-ball 67, with eight fours and four sixes. "I don't think we would have played a bit differently, but I think it's (in) different phases of the game you have different approaches," Samson said about India's approach after the four-wicket win. "When you have had a really good start in the powerplay. we actually phrase it very differently, like powerplays is different, middle-overs is different, and the death (overs stage) is different."
"So even if you're chasing 170 and if you've got (off) to a flyer, we make sure that we kill the game in the powerplay itself. That's what we have been doing really well in the last couple of years." Samson said it is an approach Indian team would stick with, even if it fails at times.
"That's what we came up (with) and we try to do that every game. Sometimes it comes off nicely, sometimes it doesn't, but we have to keep believing in ourselves and keep the team in front," he said. Samson said after the tour of England in June-July this year, the Indian players were specifically instructed to keep their fitness levels high given the schedule. "Last couple of months, we have been playing a lot of games, but to be honest, I feel very lucky that we are playing games. I would prefer playing games instead of not playing games," Samson said in reply to a query on India's tight schedule.
India played against the West Indies in the final T20 in Bengaluru just five days ago. "After the England series, we had a very strong meeting where I think things were communicated very properly that we have a very tight schedule coming up, so make sure you do your fitness routines nicely. The team has put in some really proper work towards it and physically we are definitely in a great state, and mentally also. We travel in business class, we stay in really big hotels, so we can't complain," Samson said.
"Not only me, I could see each and every player putting in that extra effort yesterday (on Wednesday during training), knowing that there is only one day (to prepare) but we will make sure everything is 100 per cent before we go and play that game," he added.
Samson said playing the knocks that he did in the business end of the T20 World Cup made a huge difference to his confidence. "When you play for your country and win crucial matches, your mental frame becomes a bit different," he said. "I have been very lucky that I got that a few months ago. It's very important to have that confidence every time you walk out to bat for your country so definitely it is there in my mind."
(Inputs from PTI)