If he could do so, Virat Kohli could just decide to skip the toss in the next match against England for it hardly matters to him and his team.
For the third time in a row, the sequence beginning from the fourth T20I in Ahmedabad, Kohli lost the toss but won the match. On all three occasions, India were left to defend totals and they have succeeded every time.
The latest came on Tuesday, in the first ODI of the three-match series against England at the MCA Stadium in Pune, as the Kohli brigade outclassed the visitors by 66 runs to go 1-0 up.
Comeback man Shikhar Dhawan top-scored with 98, albeit two let-offs (on 16 and 59), skipper Kohli contributed 56, while KL Rahul too regained form with an unbeaten 62. But the real star for India was Pandya, not Hardik, but his brother Krunal, who smashed the fastest fifty (off 26 balls) on ODI debut. Fellow debutant Prasidh Krishna (4/54) finished with best figures by an Indian on ODI debut to facilitate the win.
Going in at No.7, left-hander Krunal, the Baroda captain and Mumbai Indians all-rounder, hammered an unbeaten 31-ball 58 alongside forging a game-changing unbroken stand of 112 off just 9.3 overs with Rahul that lifted India’s total to 317/5.
But England openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow clobbered the Indian attack to motor their team to 135 without loss in 14.1 overs. The game was fast slipping away from India, but Kohli brought back Prasidh, who took a pounding from Bairstow in his first spell, and he responded immediately.
Prasidh Krishna exults after dismissing Sam Billings on Tuesday. Getty Images
A bit of extra bounce induced a poor stroke from Roy and thereafter, the young Karnataka and Kolkata Knight Riders pacer struck again to account for No.3 batsman Ben Stokes, who too played a bad shot. Then Bairstow and captain Eoin Morgan — batting with four stitches after splitting the webbing between right thumb and index finger — gifted their wickets away to trigger a dramatic collapse.
Shardul Thakur, currently India’s man with the golden arm, removed Jos Buttler after dismissing Bairstow and Morgan. Even then England had the required rate well under control with Sam Billings, who earlier sprained his collar-bone joint, and Moeen Ali going smoothly during their sixth-wicket stand.
But Prasidh gave his team another breakthrough and again, a poor stroke cost England with Billings perishing. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been bowling exceptionally well of late, kept things tight enough to make sure it became tougher and tougher for England as they eventually folded for 251 in 42.1 overs.
Taking no credit away from India’s bowlers for turning things around brilliantly, England’s shot selection, which was a level below injudicious given the conditions, was also one of the big reasons for their loss.
Earlier, the Indian innings was mainly about the two century partnerships: the Dhawan-Kohli stand that laid the platform for a huge total followed by the one Rahul and Krunal stitched to help their side finish with a flourish.
Krunal’s excellent hand-eye coordination and more importantly his determination to help his team reach a competitive, challenging total kept the Indian scoreboard ticking.
India were also helped by some mediocre English bowling.
Before being selected for India, the year didn’t begin well for Krunal as alongside losing father Himanshu, who died in January due to cardiac arrest, he was also in the news for having some issues with his Baroda teammate Deepak Hooda during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy camp. Luckily, though, he got the backing from his state and then performed as well to get his maiden ODI call-up.
Dedicating the blinder of a knock to his late father, Krunal broke down and was being consoled by his younger brother.
