NEW DELHI: India batter Sanju Samson came out all guns blazing in pursuit of 133 in the first T20I against England at Eden Gardens, unleashing a blistering assault on Gus Atkinson and scoring 22 runs off his first over with four fours and a magnificent six.
The first delivery was short, and Samson was ready. He leaned back slightly, pulling it with finesse behind square for a boundary. The crowd erupted. Atkinson’s next ball, a good length outside off, was met with a perfectly timed on-the-rise drive, racing through extra cover for another four.
The third ball of the over was the only dot delivery, with Samson slashing hard for a cut but missing as the ball bounced over the blade.
Atkinson, visibly under pressure, overcorrected his length on the fourth ball. Samson seized the opportunity, stepping forward and throwing his bat at the ball. The sound of the bat meeting the ball was crisp, and it soared over the covers for a magnificent six.
Determined to recover, Atkinson tried a back-of-a-length delivery outside off. Samson slashed hard, but the ball zipped over his blade. Atkinson seemed to regain his footing for a moment.
But Samson wasn’t done. A fuller delivery followed, and Samson whipped it to the right of mid-on, showcasing his elegant wristwork as the ball sped to the fence. Atkinson’s final delivery strayed onto the pads, and Samson glanced it delicately past short fine leg, leaving deep square leg with no chance.
However, Samson failed to keep the momentum going as he perished for 26 off 20 balls.
Earlier, India bowled out the tourists for 132 as England skipper Jos Buttler played a lone hand with his 68.
Left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh removed both openers early and spinner Varun Chakravarthy claimed three wickets after India elected to field first in Kolkata.
