Durban [South Africa], November 9 : T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav praised Sanju Samson's exceptional character and work ethic, citing these traits as key factors in his success.
Samson lit the Kingsmead on fire with a fusillade of boundaries during his swift 107-run knock. His aggression made South African bowlers grind hard to put a halt to India's free-flowing runs.
The 29-year-old's aggression wasn't limited to the way he bats. Even the way he celebrated his milestones reflected Samson's strong character he holds, a personality that the Indian team wants to infuse into its system.
According to Yadav, Samson's relentless pursuit of boundaries, even when nearing milestones, demonstrated his unwavering commitment.
"The amount of hard work he has put in over the last few years, doing the boring work, he is eating the fruits of that. He was in the 90s, but still, he was looking for a boundary, playing for the team which shows the character of the man, and that's what we look for," Suryakumar said in the post-match presentation.
With an emphatic 61-run triumph, India maintained its unbeaten record in Durban. The Indian skipper admitted that he was unaware of their supremacy in Durban.
"Is it? I did not know about that. I just got to know now. We have not changed our brand of cricket in the last 3-4 series, very happy with the win," Suryakumar remarked.
The 203-run chase certainly could have turned into a nervy affair when David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen were on the field.
Even though the duo were kept quiet, signs of trouble were always lingering due to the destructive reputation that the duo had earned for themselves.
Suryakumar brought in Varun Chakaravarthy in the 12th over, which turned out to be the defining moment of the series opener.
In a single over, he removed the deadly duo, which opened the floodgates. Ravi Bishnoi followed it up perfectly, which resulted in South Africa losing wickets in a cluster.
"That was the plan, we were looking for the crucial wickets of Klaasen and Miller and the way they (spinners) delivered, it was incredible," Suryakumar remarked.
In the end, the Indian skipper gave the due credit to his teammates for making his task much easier by showcasing their fearless attitude.
"Boys have made my job easier. I don't need to carry any baggage. The way they have been showing that fearless attitude, the boys are enjoying themselves on and off the field, which makes my job easier. The brand of cricket we play, even though we lose a few wickets, we want to play without fear. It's a T20 game. We know we have 20 overs, but if you can score 200 in 17 overs, why not," he concluded.