Table of Contents
India will take on England in the second game of the three-match ODI series in Pune on Friday, March 26.
After facing each other in the Tests and the T20Is, two of the best international cricket teams locked horns in the ODI series opener on Tuesday.
Following an interesting encounter that saw both India and England fight hard for supremacy and enjoy a wood over the opposition at different stages, the hosts eventually came out triumphant by a margin of 66 runs. They went 1-0 up in the series.
India also grabbed 10 more crucial points towards the ICC Super League points table, where they now stand eighth after two wins and two losses. England are positioned fourth despite losing four of their seven matches, including three wins.
Batting first after losing the toss, India piled on a total of 317/5 in their allotted 50 overs, with opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan (98) top-scoring and skipper Virat Kohli (56), as well as KL Rahul (62*) and debutant Krunal Pandya (58*) making superb half-centuries.
Ben Stokes (3/34) emerged as the stand-out English bowler in the first half, where Mark Wood (2/75) also contributed a couple of wickets but proved expansive. Sam Curran (0/48) was quite economical on the day, especially in the earlier half of his spell.
In the run-chase, Jason Roy (46) and Jonny Bairstow (94) gave England a fantastic start. The visitors were 135/0 at one stage, and it seemed that a comfortably win is on the cards for them. However, things changed and changed drastically, as they lost Roy quickly thereafter to kickstart an unforeseen collapse. England lost their 10 wickets in the space of 116 runs to be dismissed eventually for just 251 runs.
England’s middle-order batters never dropped their guard and stayed on the offensive. The aggressive approach, which has come to define the 2019 World Cup champions, was their nemesis on the day as they over-attacked Shardul Thakur’s likes (3/37) and Prasidh Krishna (4/54), even on lengths that weren’t really there to hit.
It provided India with the opening they needed defending a score of 20-30 less than par on a pitch that did offer a hint of spongy bounce to the pacers but played flat for most parts.
The hosts’ best bowler on the night in terms of pure skill, control and consistency on offer was veteran quick Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/30), who was again very smart with his use of the angles and variations in length.
Bhuvneshwar and the batting unit will once again be important to India’s chances in the second ODI. With the series on the line, England will surely come out determined to pull off a more complete performance.
Key Players
Virat Kohli: He looked good for so much more than the 56 he eventually got out for in the 1st ODI. Kohli’s long and painful wait for an international hundred continued, but signs are there that the great batsman is only nearing the special three-figure mark with each innings. The Indian captain, who enjoys the ball coming on to the bat in Pune, will be setting his eyes on a big score for sure. A modern-day batting legend, Kohli has now scored 12,096 runs from 252 ODIs with an average of 59.29 while maintaining a strike-rate of 93.24.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Bhuvneshwar has been in terrific form with the ball since making a comeback to India’s white-ball outfit. The right-arm quick was pivotal to India winning the T20I series 3-2 and proved impactful once again in the ODI series opener. Bhuvneshwar was the best Indian bowler on the show this Tuesday (March 23) and ended with figures of 2/30. It’s not that Bhuvneshwar has swung the ball a mile but has subtly used the crease’s different angles to plant a doubt in English batsmen’s minds.
Jonny Bairstow: The England opener has been very consistent and explosive at the top of the order for England in ODIs. The right-hand batsman looked extremely dangerous in the first match and scored 94 runs off just 66 balls before he was dismissed prematurely. Bairstow’s wicket held back England significantly in their quest to chase down 318, which shows his value. He has now scored 3,301 runs from 84 ODIs at an average of 47.84 while carrying a strike-rate of 104.52.
Jos Buttler: Buttler missed out with the bat in the last match when he was out LBW of Thakur on 2, but there is little doubt in anyone’s mind that the explosive right-hander remains a danger man for India. Buttler will be in pain with how his team lost the first one-dayer and will be determined to help them level the series 1-1. He has a fantastic record to his name in ODIs, where he has made 3,857 runs at an average of 39.35 while maintaining a strike-rate of 118.96.
Prediction
India are always a more dangerous unit when on the ascendancy. But they will have to overcome the 2019 World Cup champions to continue their winning run and seal the three-match series.
Given India’s available resources, the focus will once again be on their robust batting unit and how they can manage their bowling against an opposition that will always look to put them under pressure.
For England, the key will be to resurrect their middle-order issues and be more flexible with their approach depending on the game situation.
Expect another tight contest with the series on the line.
