Two catches, no wickets: Samson and Abhishek get lucky breaks in Jansen’s opening over

Sanju Samson in action (Pic: AFP)

In a dramatic start to the fourth T20I between India and South Africa at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, India's Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma narrowly escaped early dismissals in the opening over, thanks to missed and dropped catches from South African fielders.

Both Samson and Sharma were given a reprieve in consecutive deliveries due to missed and dropped catches, which could have potentially derailed India's innings.

On the third ball of Jansen's opening over, Samson, who had narrowly avoided a third consecutive duck, was tested with a full, wide cross-seamer that angled away from him. He pushed at it and got an outside edge, but the ball flew narrowly wide of the first slip. It was a close call, but luck was on his side, and he survived to fight another ball.

The very next delivery saw Sharma facing a similar fate. Jansen bowled a full and fastball outside off stump, and Sharma attempted to drive it but ended up getting a thick outside edge.

The ball flew rapidly towards the first slip, where Reeza Hendricks, positioned to take the catch, couldn't react in time. He attempted to snare it around his face but fumbled the sharp chance, and Sharma, too, was given a reprieve. Both batsmen were given a new lease of life, and their fortunes were firmly in the hands of the fielders.

India had opted to bat first after Suryakumar Yadav, leading the side for the first time in the series, won the toss. Continuing the trend of batting first, which had worked well for India in the earlier games, the decision seemed to be a calculated one, given the form of their batters. In the previous match, the Indians had been propelled by a stellar knock from Tilak Varma, who made an emphatic statement at No.3 with a remarkable unbeaten 107 off 56 balls.

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Varma's maiden T20I century, coupled with a key 3-37 from Arshdeep Singh, had powered India to an 11-run victory over South Africa in the third T20I at SuperSport Park, giving India a 2-1 lead in the series.

The third game had been a thrilling encounter, with India fighting back after a narrow defeat in the second T20I, where South Africa won by three wickets, chasing down India's total with some nervy finishing. Earlier, India had dominated the series opener, winning by 61 runs in a comprehensive performance. The series had now come down to the final match, with India looking to seal the win and take a 3-1 lead.

This match against South Africa was also a significant moment for the Indian team, marking the end of a sensational year in T20I cricket. India had dominated the shortest format, not only winning the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup in June but also amassing a staggering 24 wins out of 26 matches played throughout the year.

With such an impressive record, India's T20I campaign had been one of the most successful in recent memory, and the team was eager to cap off the year with another victory, rounding off a memorable run in T20 cricket.