Twitter Reactions: Shikhar Dhawan, Krunal Pandya and KL Rahul guide India to big total in 1st ODI against England
Asked to bat first, India rode on the fifties from Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Krunal Pandya to score 317 for 5 in the first ODI.
As many as four batsmen scored fifties as India scored 317 for 5 against England in the first ODI at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium in Pune. Shikhar Dhawan top-scored with 98 while Kohli (56), KL Rahul (62*) and Krunal Pandya (58*) crossed the 50-run marks too. Asked to bat first by Eoin Morgan, India were off to a fine yet cautious start.
Dhawan and Rohit Sharma showed absolutely no urgency at the start as the pitch offered bounce and swing to England pacers. The India openers had managed just 10 runs from the first five overs and 39 from 10 overs before accelerating. They added 64 runs for the first wicket before Ben Stokes dismissed Rohit Sharma for 28. It was followed by a solid century-plus stand between Dhawan and Virat Kohli.
Mark Wood ended the 105-run stand between Dhawan and Kohli when he sent back the latter in the 33rd over. The 32-year old departed after scoring 56 off 60 balls. Shreyas Iyer did not last long and returned to the hut after scoring just 6. Dhawan, on the other hand, was looking in good rhythm after reaching his fifty off 68 balls. He reached his fifty in style, slamming Adil Rashid for a six in the 24th over and soon upped the tempo.
The momentum changed for Dhawan in the 29th over when he hit Moeen Ali for a six and four on consecutive deliveries. In the following two overs, he hit Adil Rashid and Wood for one boundary each to edge closer to his century. Dhawan entered the 90s in the 33rd over after hitting Wood for two more boundaries. Unfortunately, the southpaw missed his century by just two runs.
KL Rahul, Krunal Pandya help India finish on a strong note
8 runs after Dhawan’s departure, Hardik Pandya was dismissed by Ben Stokes for just 1 as India found themselves reeling at 205 for 5 from 187 for 2 at one stage. Just when it looked like England would restrict India to a below-par total, KL Rahul and debutant Krunal Pandya put India’s innings back on track. The duo went on to share an unbeaten stand of 112 runs off just 57 balls to guide India to the big total.
Krunal was the aggressor during the stand while Rahul also played the big shots after struggling with timing at the start of his innings. Krunal reached his fifty off just 26 deliveries with the help of 6 fours and two sixes. On the other hand, Rahul reached his fifty off 39 deliveries.
Here is how Twitter reacted to India’s innings:
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