With a higher backlift, the backswing gets an even better relay to hit consistently through the line. That is evident in his game, especially against spinners as it gives him extra time to attack them. That swing has got better with this change that he ha

override the bounce as it found the fine-leg fielder. The Madhwal encounter was another instance when his backswing was perhaps not quick enough to play the cut with economic footwork.

Samson’s last appearance in India colours — a T20I against Afghanistan in Bengaluru in January — provides another telling example. He fell first ball, mistiming a pull against a left-arm pacer off a hard-length delivery.

Empirical data suggests that Samson is susceptible to hard lengths the nagging area wedged between the good and short-length regions. His strike rate falls to 115 against hard length while being dismissed seven times in 83 deliveries - the most for him against any length since the 2022 season. Interestingly, anything fractionally shorter sees him scoring at a strike rate of over 200.

This could be due to the partial effect of a high backlift and the subsequent backswing that has hindered him against extra pace off the pitch, leaving him with less time to tackle deliveries on hard lengths.

Samson would believe that his refined methods would not hold him back from possibly sealing his maiden T20 World Cup berth, with surfaces in the West Indies and the USA likely to suit a batsman of his ilk. However, heavy labour remains to be done in the IPL yard.

With three big knocks to his tally, the Rajasthan skipper has reason to believe his tweaked technique can overshadow his vulnerabilities this time.

Empirical data suggests that Samson is susceptible to hard lengths — the nagging area wedged between the good and shortlength regions.