India belt Namibia to post 209/9

If Sanju Samson’s three-sixes innings was akin to a short-lived Instagram reel, Ishan Kishan’s batting was a gripping web series, full of drama, action and anticipation.

Kishan smashed the daylights out of a club class Namibia attack to score a 24-ball-61 but Indian batters struggled against Gerhard Erasmus’ side-arm off-breaks before posting 209 for 9 in a group league fixture of the T20 World Cup here on Thursday.

Kishan muscled five sixes and half a dozen boundaries for a 20-ball-50 that set the foundation for a marauding Hardik Pandya (52 off 28 balls) to take the team to a total that looked beyond the reach of this Namibian batting line-up.

However, Namibia skipper Erasmus (4/20 in 4 overs) gave a fantastic account of himself and would certainly keep Pakistan’s lethal weapon Usman Tariq interested come Sunday.

Erasmus bowled side-arm deliveries in between the stock ball which is round arm. As a variation, he also bowled from behind the crease to shorten the length, as a set Tilak Varma (25) couldn’t reach to the pitch of the delivery.

It was a flat Kotla deck but Sanju Samson (22 off 8 balls) and skipper Suryakumar Yadav, with a run-a-ball 12, missed out on scoring big with the African side making some sort of a comeback with the ball during the middle overs.

Surya certainly got the best delivery of the innings from left arm spinner Bernard Scholtz, who got one to dip and turn as the skipper gave the charge, missed and was duly stumped.

It was a golden opportunity for Samson to make it count. The three sixes — one down the ground and the other two a product of sinewy wrists — sent the capacity crowd into raptures. But another cute flick didn’t have the wings to clear the fielder at the cow corner.

Samson’s knock was full of intent but fell short in effectiveness quotient.

The difference between Kishan and Samson over the past one month has been consistency and understanding the value of a God-send second chance.

The Namibian pacers didn’t stand any chance against him and the moment they erred in length, Ishan’s willow came down like a sledgehammer at a tremendous bat speed and the sixes soared into the stands.

During the back-10, India’s MVP Pandya took charge as his four sixes and four boundaries kept the momentum going, with Shivam Dube (23 off 16 balls) giving him good support in a 81 run stand off just 6.3 overs.