Page 50 - The Indian EYE 032621

SPORTS MARCH 26, 2021 | The Indian Eye 50

number four. Rahul and Kohli given to the visitors.
set the foundation of India’s in- The decider will now be
ning as they scored all around played on Sunday.
the park. They mixed caution Chasing 337, England did
with aggression as they picked not break a sweat as Stokes
the singles and waited for the and Bairstow shared a 175-run
bad balls. stand for the second wicket. The
Between the well-planned partnership saw the left-hand-
partnership, Kohli was dropped ed Stokes taking a special lik-
by Jos Buttler in the 22nd over off ing to spinners Krunal Pandya
Rashid. At that time, Kohli was and Kuldeep Yadav. “We did
batting on 35. The duo kept pil- have our plans and we talk
ing the runs and both Kohli and about how we wanted to exe-
Rahul completed their half-cen- cute things. I want to say that
turies. But just when it looked we tried our best, there were
like Kohli would break his hun- a couple of chances that could
dred drought, Rashid brought India's Prasidh Krishna celebrates the dismissal of England's Jonny have gone our way, but we must
England back as he dismissed Bairstow during the 2nd ODI between India and England at Maharashtra give credit to them for the way
Kohli (66) in the 32nd over. Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday. (ICC/ANI Photo) they played and came after our
Rashid has now become the bowlers. Yeah, 100 per cent,
second-most successful bowler there is room for improvement.
against the India skipper as he Just like I said, we could have
has had Kohli’s number nine bowled better, I am not deny-
times. Kohli’s dismissal saw Pant ing the fact, but we need to give
join Rahul in the middle. The credit to England,” said Prasidh
duo accelerated and started tak- during a post-match press con-
ing on the English bowlers. Pant ference on Friday.
started hitting from the word go “There was an onslaught,
and scored all around the stadi- that’s the game of cricket, with
um with Rahul also joining the four fielders just being allowed
party. Rahul and Pant stitched a for 10-40 overs, that can hap-
113-run partnership off 80 balls pen. We are going to come back
for the fourth wicket. strongly. Our execution could
After playing a blitzkrieg have been better, here I am
knock of 99 off 52, England talking about myself. Yes, we
all-rounder Ben Stokes on Fri- did make mistakes and we could
day said that he decided to take have done better, but they bat-
charge on the spinners while India's Rishabh Pant during the 2nd ODI between India and England at ted very well,” he added.
letting Jonny Bairstow keep MCA Stadium in Pune on Friday. (BCCI/ANI Photo) Talking about his own bowl-
doing his thing in the second ing in his last two ODIs, Prasidh
ODI against India here at the possible start as openers Jason ally happy I was able to build said: “Personally I would like to
Maharashtra Cricket Associa- Roy and Bairstow scripted a those partnerships with Virat start better. I would want to im-
tion Stadium. hundred-plus partnership for and Rishabh,” Rahul said in the prove on bowling with the new
The all-rounder smashed 10 the first wicket. mid-innings break. ball. I think I would go back and
sixes and four fours in his blister- Speaking to the host broad- Commenting on his style work on such things.”
ing innings. Apart from Stokes, casters after the India innings, of celebration after getting the “It was a very good wicket to
it was opener Jonny Bairstow’s Rahul (108 off 114 balls) said century: “It is just to shut out bat on, the score says it all, we
124 runs that saw England regis- he was happy to build partner- the noise, not to disrespect any- scored 330 odd and they chased
ter a six-wicket. Chasing a mam- ships with skipper Virat Kohli one. There are people out there it down in the 44th over. It says it
moth target of 337, the visitors and Rishabh Pant which set who try to pull you down, at all, it was a flat wicket,” he added.
cruised home with 39 balls to the foundation for the side’s gi- times you need to neglect them. In the 26th over of England’s
spare as they levelled the three- ant total of 336/6 in the second So that’s just a message to shut chase, Stokes had punched the
match series 1-1. If the Indian match. “It was a hot day and it out that noise. When me and ball through mid-wicket and he
batsmen stole the show in the was important for us to get a Virat were batting, we needed was looking for two runs, but he
afternoon, it was the turn of the partnership. Really happy with anything around 300, so happy was a bit casual while coming
English batters under lights to what we have achieved after 50 with this total,” he added. back for the second and Kuldeep
showcase some quality stroke- overs. Scoring runs makes you After suffering a six-wick- was able to register a direct-hit.
play. The decider will be played confident, and that’s what you et loss against England, India The replays showed that there
on Sunday. want to do. I was disappointed pacer Prasidh Krishna on Fri- was nothing behind the line, but
The foundation of every suc- after the T20 series, but that’s day said that his side could have the third umpire suggested that
cessful chase is a strong founda- how the game goes. Few qual- bowled better, but at the end of there is nothing conclusive and
tion and England had the best ity shots eased my nerves. Re- the day the credit needs to be he deemed it ‘not-out.

www.TheIndianEYE .com