IND vs SA 2022-23, Lucknow ODI: 'Love spending time at the wicket' - Sanju Samson

India fell short by a couple of big hits in the opening One-Day International (ODI) against South Africa, feels wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson. He scored an unbeaten 86 in a losing cause at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday. Tracking a stiff 250-run target in 40 overs in a rain-curtailed tie, the hosts relinquished by just nine runs. Besides Samson, Shreyas Iyer (50) and Shardul Thakur (33) also played their part but failed to take India over the finishing line.

"I love spending time at the wicket, especially in Indian colours. We play to win the match. I fell short by just two shots -- one four and a six. I will try to make up for that in the next match, but I am happy with my contribution," Samson spoke during the post-match press conference.

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Requiring 30 runs off the final over, Samson hit chinaman Tabraiz Shamsi for three boundaries to garner 20 runs. Yet, it was not enough. He failed to play a single delivery in the 19th over that potentially proved to be the game's difference maker. "South African bowlers were bowling well, but Shamsi was going a little expensive, so we thought we could target him. I knew he had an over left, so if we needed 24 runs, I was confident I could hit four sixes. So, I was taking it deep. That was our plan," Samson articulated.

With Lucknow noticing relentless rains for the past three days, the pitch was initially damp and presented movement for the bowlers. "If you have noticed South Africa's innings, you could see it was difficult to make runs with the new ball. After 15 overs, [David] Miller and [Heinrich] Klaasen batted well, and it became easy. The ball wasn't moving. Batting became easy after 15-20 overs," Samson enunciated.

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After the initial grind, Miller (75 not out off 63 ) and Klaasen (74 not out off 65) shared a 139-run partnership for the fifth wicket, taking the visitors close to the 250-run mark. The Indian bowlers blundered in the death overs, conceding 54 runs in the last five.

"I made 80 odd runs, but I also made mistakes. It was a learning lesson for us, and we would look to make up for that in the next match. We have some space to improve, but we also need to look at the batsman we are bowling at. At the moment, someone like David Miller is the best finisher in the world, and bowling against him on this ground was very challenging," Samson communicated.

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"We responded decently, I think. No-a-days, 50 runs in 5 overs have become easy, but we can improve. They are a very experienced team. So, we will have a very challenging series ahead," concluded Samson. The second ODI will be played Sunday at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.

(With inputs from PTI)