Pune: A superb combined bowling and batting display helped India set-up a 66 run victory over England in the first ODI on Tuesday taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Defending 318 on a batting paradise at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, India bowlers started-off horribly as the English openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow took them to the cleaners.
For his gutsy 9️⃣8️⃣, @SDhawan25 is the Man of the Match tonight 💪🏻#TeamIndia #INDvENG @Paytm pic.twitter.com/i8G3DJwJsj
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 23, 2021
The swashbuckling duo took the visitors to 135 in the 15th over. However, a series of wickets in quick succession shifted the momentum towards the Men in Blue. Debutant Prasidh Krishna sent Roy (46) and Ben Stokes to the pavilion before Bairstow after playing a scintillating 66 ball 94 fell in the trap of Shardul Thakur.
Eoin Morgan’s bad form in the limited-overs cricket continued as he went for just 22. Thakur turned around the game by dismissing the England skipper and Jos Buttler in the same over to put India back on top.
The visitors never really recovered from losing wickets at regular intervals even though the asking rate was never a problem for them. Indian bowlers sealed the evening bowling England out in the 43rd over on 251. Krishna (4/ 54) registered the best figures ever by an Indian on debut while Thakur (3/37) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/30) gave him good support.
Earlier, India were asked to bat by England having won the toss. Despite a slow start and losing Rohit Sharma in the 15th over, India came back well through Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli.
The latter continued his splendid form bringing up his fifty while also becoming the second Indian batter to cross 10000 international runs at home before falling for a well-made 56. Dhawan (98) was quite unfortunate missing out on a deserving hundred. KL Rahul (62 not out) and Krunal Pandya (56 not out) who registered the fastest fifty on debut started a late onslaught helping India end their innings on in 317/5 50 overs.
