Series victory in sight for Team India as England hope to find their footing

There was a sense of unknown in the first ODI when India and England took the field. A sort of feeling where you have not done a certain routine exercise in a while, and you are trying to recollect hard from your conscious memory how to perform a certain task while your muscle memory betrays you for a while. The two teams after an extended couple of months of Test and T20 cricket floundered in the middle overs, mixed with a sense of uncertain motives as to how to approach the game which gave the first ODI a strangely pleasing flow, much unlike the usual molded narrative of ODI cricket.

Come the second game, expect that unfocused mindset to dissolve into a competitive spirit. For India, a win will secure a whitewash against a strong England side. For the visitors, the series is on the line.

While the benefits of IPL cricket to Indian cricket had always been acknowledged, there had never in the past been such apparent proof of it. Over the past three months, Team India have had an influx of talent previously untouched by international cricket, yet have taken to it like sharks to water - every setback being treated as an opportunity, where once an injury would have derailed the chances of the team. The first ODI against England was no different. Although it was the team management’s shrewd eye for talent to blood Prasidh Krishna in an ODI with hardly a season of eye-catching domestic performances, the Karnataka pacer’s 4-fer, the best bowling figures for any Indian debutante was more than a vindication of their decision. Krunal Pandya’s half-century was no different.

Despite all the positives, India would be wary of the middle overs where the team suddenly batted like deer caught in headlights. The England innings was no different, and a case of shortfall of ODIs in recent times could well have been the reason for both teams losing their way. But, a repeat of such a debacle in consecutive games could ring alarm bells in the back of the teams’ minds. Both India and England would be conscious not to let it become a pattern.

While the comeback was sweet, India would still be wary of the first 15 overs where the England openers took them to task. However, given the nature of the comeback, there is enough reason to believe the opening onslaught was down to class batting and had little to do with the inexperienced India bowling much losing their line, length, and confidence. The surface at Pune made for an even contest, the toss not proving as much of a hindrance to either team’s fortunes. With series on the line, expect yet another humdinger between two top teams.