NEW DELHI: The last three to four months have been mentally taxing for India wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson, but he has persevered by improving himself and recovered to score his first-ever ODI century.
Despite Samson's stellar performance with an average of 55.7 at a strike rate of 104 in 13 ODI innings, selectors chose to go with players like Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav for the ODI World Cup in India.
"The last three, four months were challenging for me mentally," Sanju said after the 78-run win on Thursday.
"So going through all that and coming here I think doing what I did today, I think I feel really happy and grateful."
Samson's lack of selection for the Asian Games further illustrates how low on the selectors' priority list he is.
But on Thursday, he took matters into his own hands and struck his first century in an ODI to help India defeat South Africa in the third game of the series at Paarl.
"I've been blessed in my genes. My father is also a sportsman, so how much ever setbacks you have, I think there's always no other way to come back and bounce back... think how much you can work on yourself and how you can come back more strongly," he added.
1/10:Sanju Samson's maiden ODI ton takes India to series win in South Africa
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2/10:India win ODI series
<p>Sanju Samson hit a maiden international century and set up a series-deciding win for India against South Africa in the third ODI in Paarl on Thursday.</p>Getty Images
3/10:India 296/8
<p>Samson made 108 in an Indian total of 296/8 on a slow pitch on a hot afternoon at Boland Park. </p>Getty Images
4/10:Patient batting
<p>Samson summed up the conditions well, batting patiently as stroke-making became challenging when the two white balls lost their hardness.</p>Getty Images
5/10:Match-winning stand
<p>Samson and Tilak Varma (52) took 88 balls to post a fifty partnership for the fourth wicket but they picked up the pace and eventually added 116 off 136 balls. </p>Getty Images
6/10:Sanju Samson
<p>Samson made his runs off 114 balls with six fours and three sixes. </p>Getty Images
7/10:Axar Patel
<p>India's lower order batsmen scored rapidly towards the end of the innings, with 51 runs scored off the last five overs. </p>Getty Images
8/10:The toss
<p>South African captain Aiden Markram's decision to send India in to bat backfired as the hosts were bowled out for 218.</p>Getty Images
9/10:South Africa
<p>South Africa were well-placed when Tony de Zorzi (87) and Markram (36) put on 65 for the third wicket to take the total to 141 in the 26th over.</p>Getty Images
10/10:Washington Sundar
<p>Then Markram gloved an attempted reverse sweep off Washington Sundar to wicketkeeper KL Rahul and De Zorzi was leg before wicket to Arshdeep 20 runs later.</p>Getty ImagesSamson, who was promoted to number three and scored a measured 108, teamed up with Tilak Varma (52) to help India reach a competitive total.
"Honestly, I think I was not looking at the scorecard. Until I had a partnership with Tilak till then I just wanted to play and like go with the merit. I just watched the ball and bat and the boundaries and the scoring options ultimately happened.
"So I was just focused on the process and playing one ball at a time and then I think the scorecard kept on ticking.
"When Tilak came in when we both had a tough four or five overs where I think (Keshav) Maharaj, was bowling the best. I think both the ends were a bit tight. That's when we thought that we need to go on and take some risks at the moment."
Asked how he kept his calm during the knock, Samson said, "I don't know actually. It comes very naturally to me.
"It's very important to make really good decisions. When you are calm and when you are aware of your thoughts, emotions of your physical being and mental being that helps me to make some really good decisions."
1/10:Statistical highlights: India's ODI series victory against South Africa
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2/10:India beat South Africa
<p>India completed a 76-run victory in the third and deciding match of the series against South Africa at Paarl. </p>AFP
3/10:2nd ODI series win
<p>This is the second time India have claimed an ODI series win in South Africa. India had won by 5-1 in 2017/18. </p>AP
4/10:Sanju Samson
<p>Sanju Samson (108) scored his first hundred in ODIs. His previous best was an 86* vs South Africa in Lucknow on October 6, 2022. </p>AFP
5/10:Tilak Varma
<p>Tilak Varma (52) scored his maiden half-century in his fourth ODI. </p>Reuters
6/10:The record stand
<p>116 runs put on by Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma for the fourth wicket, is India's highest partnership for any wicket vs South Africa in ODIs in Paarl. </p>Getty Images
7/10:Arshdeep Singh
<p>Arshdeep Singh's 5/37 in the 1st ODI in Johannesburg are the best bowling figures by an India pacer in South Africa. </p>Reuters
8/10:10 wickets in 3 ODIs
<p>Arshdeep Singh's 10 wickets across the three matches is the second most by an India pacer in a bilateral ODI series in South Africa. </p>Getty Images
9/10:Kuldeep Yadav
<p>The record of most four-plus wicket hauls for India against South Africa in ODIs now belongs to Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav (three each). </p>AP
10/10:India's 296/8
<p>India's 296/8 is the eighth 250-plus first innings score in 16 ODIs at the Boland Park and only one before this had ended in a defeat. </p>Getty ImagesThe home side looked on course for victory before the Indian pacers, led by left-armer Arshdeep Singh, bowled the South Africans out for 218 in 45.5 overs.
"I think the power-play, the way South African openers batted, I thought they are taking the game away five overs before.
"But after that when our fast bowlers came in between, and the ball I think was maintained nicely by all the teammates... the fast bowlers also hit some proper areas to get those crucial wickets of David (Miller) and crucial wickets were important for us."
(With PTI inputs)
