Debutants Prasidh Krishna and Krunal Pandya enjoyed stellar starts to their 50-over careers as India defeated England by 66 runs in the first ODI in Pune on Tuesday. The match was set up by opener Shikhar Dhawan, who smashed 98 while KL Rahul, 62 not out, and Krunal, unbeaten 58 off 31 balls, steered the hosts to 317-5 after being put into bat first at the start of the three ODIs. Chasing 318 for victory, England were bowled out for 251 in 42.1 overs despite a blazing 94 by Jonny Bairstow. Krishna, who returned ODI figures of 4-54 – a best by an Indian on debut – and fellow quick bowler Shardul Thakur shared seven wickets between them and turned the game on its head after Bairstow put on a blazing opening stand of 135 with Jason Roy. Krishna broke the stand to send back Roy out for 46 and then struck in his next over with the key wicket of Ben Stokes for one. He nearly got his third on the next ball when Morgan, who came into bat with four stitches on the webbing of his hand, edged his first ball to Kohli at slip but the Indian captain dropped the catch. Thakur soon took over from Krishna to deny Bairstow his hundred after getting the opener caught at deep midwicket. He then struck twice in his next over to send back Morgan, for 22, and Jos Buttler, lbw for two, as England slipped further to 176-5. Moeen Ali made a fighting 30 before falling to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who combined with Krunal and Krishna to wipe off the tail. For India, left-hander Krunal, who played alongside his younger brother Hardik Pandya, put on an unbroken stand of 112 with wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul as India finished with a flourish. Stokes struck first with his pace bowling, claiming Rohit Sharma caught behind for 28. He returned figures of 3-34 from eight overs. Dhawan put on 105 for the second wicket with Kohli. He made his 31st ODI fifty with a six off leg-spinner Adil Rashid. Kohli reached a run-a-ball fifty but fell for 56 to pace bowler Mark Wood. Dhawan, who hit 11 fours and two sixes in his 106-ball knock, fell short of his hundred after he mistimed a pull off Stokes. Pandya completed his 50 in 26 balls to record the fastest fifty for an ODI debutant and later choked up with emotion while dedicating the innings to his father who died in January.
