Sam Curran Birthday Special: 4/74 vs India and Other Brilliant Performances by England All-Rounder
Curran possesses the ability to move the ball with a brisk pace and his hitting abilities lower down the order can also hurt the opposition. The talented lad has put on some impressive performances early in his career and hence, many cricket experts and pundits tout him to become a vital cog in the England side.
England's rising all-round sensation Sam Curran celebrates his 22nd birthday on Wednesday (June 3, 2020). The baby-face cricketer might look harmless but is mighty effective on the field. Curran possesses the ability to move the ball with a brisk pace and his hitting abilities lower down the order can also hurt the opposition. The talented lad has put on some impressive performances early in his career and hence, many cricket experts and pundits tout him to become a vital cog in the England side. On the occasion of Sam Curran's special day, we'll look at some of his best performances. Jofra Archer, James Anderson Among 55-Man Squad Cleared by England to Resume Training.
The youngster received his maiden Test cap after Ben Stokes sustained an injury during the 1st Test of Pakistan's 2018 Tour of England. He put up some decent performances over there. However, he was at the peak of his prowess when India toured UK later that year. The rookie troubled the top-ranked Test team with both and ball and impressed one and all. Courtesy his efforts, he also bagged an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract by Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Curran delivered there too. Meanwhile, let's revisit the times when the star all-rounder took the opposition by storm.
4/74 & 63 Vs India In Birmingham
As mentioned above, Curran enjoyed a sensational run in the 2018 Test series between India and England. He put up an all-round performance in the first match only and guided his over the line. With the ball, the left-arm pacer ran through India's top order and scalped four crucial wickets. In the third innings of the game, Curran put up a batting exhibition and scored a quick-fire 63. His efforts proved to be fruitful as the home side won the game by 31 runs.
78 & 46 Vs India in Southampton
After missing the third Test against India, Curran was drafted back into the team in the fourth encounter and continued his great form. Batting first, the home team was reeling at 86/6 and the southpaw came to his side's rescue. He brilliantly batted with the tail and scored 78 runs. He continued troubling the Indian bowlers in the third innings and scored 46 runs. Riding on his efforts, England won the game by 60 runs.
4/11 Vs Delhi Capitals in Mohali
Playing for KXIP, the left-arm pacer produced a magical spell in the game against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2019. With Delhi needing 23 runs off 20 balls with six wickets in hand, the result of the game looked certain. However, Curran had different ideas. The pacer put up a brilliant display of death bowling and turned the tables around with a memorable hat-trick. Riding on his brilliance, Punjab won the game by 14 runs.
55 Vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali
Curran unleashed absolute mayhem against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2019 and played a stellar knock. Coming to bat at number six in the first innings, the left-handed batsman went after the bowlers from the outset. He rained boundaries and sixes as his 24-ball 55 helped KXIP post a massive score of 183/6. However, KKR made a brilliant comeback with the bat and won the game by seven wickets.
With the presence of all-rounders like Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali and also his brother Tom Curran, the young gun certainly has to put on an extraordinary effort in order to cement his place in the side. Nevertheless, these are still early days for the junior Curran and he'll be expected to get better with time.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 03, 2020 08:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).