Sanju Samson arrived at number 3 because the first wicket had fallen in the third over, and usually bats in the middle order. Sanju Samson's treatment by the Indian team management has frequently stirred controversy. The wicketkeeper-batter was switched from his favourite opening spot to the middle order for the 2025 Asia Cup - a decision that was deemed to be unjust by many. Even after the negative remarks, Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav have openly supported him, emphasising that Samson's adaptability was important for the team balance.

His not getting to bat against Bangladesh, where he was slotted as low as eighth, brought back doubts. The management of the team justified their action by stating that they desired a “dynamic batting order” that would adjust to the conditions of the match—this was the same argument that had been used for his earlier promotion.

Sanju Samson sent up early against Australia

Sanju Samson

The second T20I between India and Australia saw a similar scenario play out. Shubman Gill got out during the third over, and the team took the decision of promoting Samson to bat at number three, which is not a common position for him. Since he has a long history as a top-order player, it was considered a wise choice.

However,​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ the performance was quite difficult to achieve. Josh Hazlewood recorded an amazing performance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and he finished his seven-over spell with three wickets, Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma. The Australian pacer didn’t give in. He was absolutely ruthless in his efforts and was successful in getting a lot of bounce and movement from the pitches.

It is quite amazing that Samson was not Hazlewood's victim — Nathan Ellis was the one who got him out. A pitch that did a lot for the seamers was very friendly to Ellis who made the most out of the situation. Samson just got four balls before he was trapped in front. After Samson cut for two runs off his first ball Hazlewood, he had a lot of trouble with the steep bounce on the next one. Ellis took full advantage of Samson's discomfort by pitching the ball fuller - first seaming one away to beat Samson, then bringing the next delivery back in to trap him LBW.

As he was mainly a backfoot player, Samson was stuck at the crease, a very dangerous move on such an active pitch. His first wicket only served to highlight the difficulties he still has in India batting order and his inability to establish a stable role ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌there.