Debutantes impress in Pune as Team India take 1-0 series lead with an all-round effort

Team India yet again showed their ability to fight out of tough situations, not let their heads drop, and ensure they fight till the very end, which has become a part of the DNA of the team under Virat Kohli. And the situation could not get direr than the opposition going at 9-an-over for almost the first 15 overs. But it was two youngsters who have honed their skill in domestic cricket and been exposed to the bright lights of the IPL - Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur - who turned the game around in India’s favour.

After a rigorous 4 Test match and 5 T20I series, the first ODI was a reminder of its unique nature of all the ebbs and flows it is capable of throwing up. Every time a team looked like the game was going one way, there was a twist, and until the very end when England lost a heap of wickets and slid downward, there was always a sense of a looming twist.

For Team India, the most heartening aspect would be the depth in their pace battery. And much like in Australia when adversity forced a non-first string team to be blooded, a fast bowling attack of Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Prasidh Krishna would have hardly felt threatening. Even more so after the first 15 overs of the innings. But, the debutante came back. A fabulous 2 overs where he didn’t concede a run and picked up the key wickets of Jason Roy and Ben Stokes was the turning point in the game.

But there was still a long way to go before the result could have been wrapped up, Every time he has been asked to come in and bowl, Shardul Thakur over the past couple of months has shown different aspects of his game - be it defensively, or to pick wickets. And in the first ODI, it was his ability to break partnerships. A set Bairstow in his 90s pulled one to deep mid-wicket. A couple of overs later, Morgan and Buttler fell. After that, it was all downhill for England. Prasidh Krishna finished with the best figures for an Indian debutante, picking up 4 wickets.

Earlier in the day, it was another debutante who stole the show. Krunal Pandya in his first ODI provided the perfect finish to the Indian innings, equalling the world record for the fastest half-century on debut. KL Rahul’s timely return to form would be a matter of huge encouragement for Team India as well. The duo put on 112 runs for the 6th wicket in the last 10 overs, 92 of which came off the last 7. However, it was the foundation that Shikhar Dhawan’s 98 and Captain Kohli’s 56 that enabled the final flourish.

As Captain Kohli would describe, it was one of the “sweetest victories” in the recent past for Team India. A game that looked done and dusted at times, yet Team India found players who would put their hand up. In a 3-match series, the first game would become crucial. A 1-0 lead, playing at home, the series is there for Team India’s taking.