India and England are engaged in a brave three-game One-Day International series. Being held in Pune, India is seemingly off to a good start. Furthermore, Krunal Pandya made his debut in the opening ODI, scoring an unbeaten 58, dedicating it to his late father.
India came up with a spirited performance with the bat to score a commendable 317/5 against England in the opening One-Day International at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Tuesday. With as many as four players scoring half-centuries, it was debutant all-rounder Krunal Pandya, whose unbeaten 58 was remarkable.
Following the Indian innings, Krunal raised his bat in the air, seemingly giving tribute to his late father, who passed away last month. As he was called for the post-innings interview, he was highly emotional.
Trying to hold back his tears, Krunal said, "This one is for my dad. I did get emotional." He could not speak any further, as he indicated the broadcaster's crew to wrap it up while the camera feed switched away.
Ab Rulaayega kya....
🥺🥺
What a Debut.. Incredible
Krunal Pandya pic.twitter.com/UjH3GwRVXA
ALSO READ: 1st ODI: Krunal, Rahul blitz helps India post 318 target for England
Later, he was seen hugging his brother and fellow all-rounder, Hardik Pandya. Last month, both had shared numerous posts on social media regarding the passing away of their beloved father due to a cardiac arrest.
This is all heart 💙🫂
A teary moment for ODI debutant post his brilliant quick-fire half-century💥💥 pic.twitter.com/w3x8pj18CD
Match summary
Winning the toss, English skipper Eoin Morgan elected to bowl. After a cautious start, India managed to recover well and posted a challenging total, thanks to Shikhar Dhawan's 98. Simultaneously, skipper Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Krunal's half-centuries came in handy as well, setting England a target of 318.
Brief scores: India 317/5 (Dhawan 98, Kohli 56, Rahul 62*, Krunal 58*; Stokes 3/34) vs England