Four days in Thiruvananthapuram: The groundwork behind Samson's 97*

Even as scenes of Eden Gardens in Kolkata buzzing and erupting with every Sanju Samson four and six were being beamed on television on Sunday night, thousands of miles away in the UAE, one man was unsettled by a very different kind of noise. As he remained glued to the screen, missiles were being intercepted overhead outside his home as the conflict in the Middle East intensified. At times, it was difficult to distinguish between the sounds of televised celebration and those that carried far more serious implications.

Zubin Bharucha has known Samson since the player was 17 and has been part of the cricketer's journey to becoming an international and IPL veteran for nearly a decade. When Samson inspired India to a semifinal berth with a splendid unbeaten 97, it brought a sense of gratification to Bharucha, who was watching intently as the skyscrapers of the city were lit up by drones, missiles and air defence intercepts.

"It's crazy out here at the moment, I have never witnessed this with drone and missile intercepts this way. Coming to Sanju, I've known Sanju for 10 years, and last night's innings was a true reflection of what he is capable of. The fact that he hasn't delivered such performances consistently is a different matter, but he has never been short of ability, talent, or commitment. It was a classic knock full of timing and temperament," Bharucha told Cricbuzz after India beat West Indies in the must-win game.

"Sanju possesses a rare and remarkable gift for striking a cricket ball. His long, exaggerated backlift - unhurried and uninhibited - gives him the quality of timing that others can only aspire to. There is an unmistakable touch of genius in the way the ball leaves his bat, a purity of connection that very few in the game have mastered, or ever will."

Of the 12 fours and four sixes, Bharucha singled out the shot in the final over that left India just one run short of victory. "That was the shot of the night for me. How easily, effortlessly, and assuredly he lofted it over mid-wicket. When in full flow, Sanju is as good as any batter in India. At the heart of it all lies that long, unending backlift. It is both the source of his greatest strength and the reason his batting appears so effortless to the naked eye. The ease is deceptive; what seems natural is, in fact, the product of a unique alignment of rhythm, balance, and instinct."

Before the five-match T20I series against New Zealand last month, Samson invited Bharcucha to visit Thiruvananthapuram. They worked together for four days and nights, practising on all kinds of pitches - red soil, black soil & cement - during the day and under lights at night, facing every variety of bowler: pacers, spinners, and side-arm specialists at the Kerala Cricket Association academy. The veteran coach admits the results were not immediate - Samson managed 46 runs in five T20Is against New Zealand - but he remained convinced that many elements of his game fell into place during that intensive four-day stint.

"As is often the case with him, the journey began quietly and diligently. A four-day camp in Thiruvananthapuram was organised with a singular objective: to leave no stone unturned in preparation for the World Cup. He trained on multiple surfaces, faced a variety of deliveries, and worked against an array of spinners and fast bowlers - all of whom turned up unquestioningly to bowl to their favourite cricketer.

"It was preparation as comprehensive as one could design for a World Cup campaign, carefully calibrated to account for the vast and varied conditions across the country. Results against New Zealand did not come immediately. Yet the abiding impression I took from that camp was unmistakable: he was playing some extraordinary cricket shots, and something special felt imminent."

Samson confessed that he had self doubts. "It means the whole world actually to me. I think right from the day I started playing, I started dreaming to play for the country. I think this is the day I was waiting for. And very grateful, very thankful. And I've always had a very special journey with lots of ups and downs, but I've kept on doubting myself, kept on thinking, what if, what if, can I make it? Can I make it? But I kept on believing and thanks to the Lord Almighty for actually blessing me today," he said after he was adjudged POTM.

Bharucha is convinced that patience and belief in his talent has paid off. "For reasons unknown, it did not materialise in that series. The World Cup campaign seemed uncertain, compounded by a dip in confidence among other batters and ongoing deliberations within the team management over the ideal combination. Then, almost as if ordained, the moment arrived - an innings years in the making, when preparation, patience, and opportunity finally converged."