Over and out
"We Are The Champions" was blaring through the Dharamsala speakers upon confirmation of England's first victory of the World Cup at the second attempt. There's still a long way to go if 2019's winners are to provide their own rendition of that Queen hit, but the kings of the modern white ball game are finally off the mark.
They move on to Delhi where they will face Afghanistan on Sunday. For Bangladesh, they are back in action on Friday in Chennai against New Zealand.
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England beat Bangladesh by 137 runs!
A broadly comical finale here in Dharamsala. Sam Curran hits leg stump but somehow doesn't dislodge the bail. So he serves up a yorker full and at the base of middle stump to confirm a comfortable victory that polishes England's Net Run Rate to 0.55 after the chastening defeat against New Zealand, lifting them into fifth from bottom.
Dawid Malan's 140 set victory up, with Jonny Bairstow's 52 and 82 from Joe Root helping the defending champions to a target of 365 which looked broadly unachievable at the halfway stage. And even more so after Reece Topley, omitted from the opener, took his first two ODI World Cup wickets in his first over to leave Bangladesh 14 for 2 in the chase. That soon became 26 for 3 when Topley knocked back Shakib Al Hasan's off stump. He would return to finish with 4 for 43.
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The end is nigh
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And now Adil is on the board!
Mahedi misreads the googly, offering a sizeable gap between bat and pad which the ball obligingly passes through to knock back middle and leg. Bangladesh circling the drain...
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Leggies Love Livingstone
Typical. Adil Rashid, leg-spinning great of the English game, plugs away for eight overs without reward. Up steps Liam Livingstone and his part-timers bags a wicket first ball, in the 40th over. That's one way of making up for a golden duck.
It was a hell of a delivery, all told - turn and bounce after a bit of drift in, clipping a high edge on Towhid Hridoy's bat. Taskin Ahmed, leftie, comes to the crease, so Livingstone comes around the wicket with some offies and beats the outside edge!
Creeping to a foregone conclusion
Towid Hridoy takes only the second boundary off Mark Wood, driving through mid on having been given something to step forward to, and doesn't miss out. It was only his second boundary, too, as he has a net and Bangladesh trudge towards their first defeat.
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Mushfiqur goes for 51, Topley has 4
Half-century up and off he walks. The wicketkeeper-batter has long been the epitome of fight in this Bangladesh side. And while he was able to hold England off, a tempter shortish and wide outside off stump does for him. Topley puts a bit behind this delivery from around the wicket, and Mushfiqur can't help go at it. Alas, he ends up guiding the ball perfectly to Adil Rashid back on the third fence.
Topley now as 4 for 36. With two overs left, he has a chance of bettering his 6 for 24 against India in the 2022 summer, which also happen to be England's best figures in men's ODI cricket...
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Why Hridoy at No.7? - by Mohammad Isam
It will definitely be one of the first questions in the post-match press conference as it is mystifying to see Towhid Hridoy, Bangladesh’s brightest young batter, at No 7 against England. It looked like a tactical move on the part of the team management but on the face of it, the decision is too conservative.
Hridoy recently became the first Bangladeshi batter to score more than 500 runs in their debut year in ODIs. He has scored most of these runs at No 5. He has looked quite settled at that position, whichever pace he has had to take – whether to stabilise the innings after early wickets or press home the advantage after a good start.
Mehidy was sent in his place at No 5 against England, a move perhaps born out of his floating role in the batting line-up in the last few months. It could be a move to protect Hridoy but does a free-scoring No 5 really need any protection? The ball would still be old, so there’s no point sending him down the order.
What Hridoy could achieve batting at No.7 in this game, apart from getting an attractive score for himself, is a big question.
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Towhid reviews - Towhid survives!
Smart use of the review from Towhid Hridoy. He's adjudged LBW as he presses forward to Adil Rashid, but reviews immediately. The inside edge is confirmed, and Bangladesh remain five down as the right-hander stays alive on 12.
The required rate is approaching 10 an over, with no real sign Bangladesh are doing anything but preserving their NRR. The only thing keeping this match interesting is the view...
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Das goes!
And with him, Bangladesh's hopes of getting anywhere near their target of 365.
Woakes is the man to do it, an off-cutter not actually gripping all that much, passing the outside edge and carrying all the way through to Jos Buttler. Das stood there, knowing he'd hit it and was crestfallen when umpire Paul Wilson gave him his marching orders. Replays show Buttler took a couple of steps forward before delivery, which was why he was able to take the ball on the full. Smart cricket from England.
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Wood is Wood
154 Mark Wood has registered the fastest delivery at the World Cup (kph)
The Ashingtonian has yet to register one in the wicket column, but every delivery has exceeded 146kph. He's not really one for slower deliveries, but Bangladesh are finding it hard to get him away, beyond Mushfiqur Rahim's guide wide of slip. Das is still maintaining a positive strike rate, but he needs his keeper to step up if they are to get anywhere near this.
Bangladesh require 259 from 31 overs
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Bangladesh's lone ranger
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Woakes off the mark
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The fourth over wasn't guaranteed considering the first three had cost 34 runs. Off the back of the wayward six overs against New Zealand of 0 for 45, questions were beginning to be asked.
But credit to Jos Buttler for keeping Chris Woakes on, and to the seamer for backing up the support with a crisp over to remove the dangerous Mehidy Hasan Miraz. It'll take more than one dismissal in what looks set to be a one-sided victory for England, but an important breakthrough for someone who has been the most reliable white ball bowler of this Golden generation.
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Tanzid stuck at promise - by Mohammad Isam
Every low score will make life that much more difficult for Tanzid Hasan. He made just one against England before becoming Reece Topley’s first wicket. He now averages 6.66 in his first six innings, which is one of the worst starts by a Bangladeshi opener. What makes Tanzid’s situation more complicated is Bangladesh’s predicament in their opening slot. They have used seven opening pairs in 21 ODIs this year.
Tanzid debuted in the Asia Cup due to Litton Das’ illness, but he was quickly dropped too. He returned on the selectors’ radar during the Tamim Iqbal controversy. Tanzid, whose nickname is also 'Tamim', got the elder Tamim’s approval in one of the press conferences during the New Zealand series last month, too.
But the lack of runs from the young opener means that Bangladesh could now look at Mehidy Hasan Miraz for makeshift opening duty. There’s also the Tamim Iqbal cloud that hangs over the team with every failure from the openers. Shakib said Tamim was “cheating” his team by playing half-fit. Tamim was in fact passed fit for the World Cup, and proved his match fitness during the home ODIs against New Zealand last month.
The faster Tanzid gets into scoring runs, the questions about Tamim will come slower.
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Reece Topley bags his 3rd leftie of the day
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Not a bad first over in an ODI World Cup...
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Reece Topley rewards Jos Buttler's faith immediately, removing Tanzid Hasan - caught Bairstow at second slip - and then Najmul Shanto caught at point. The hat-trick ball is left by Shakib Al Hasan, who ends up wearing it on the pad as Topley starts a booming away swinger too wide of leg stump. No hat trick but the left-armer won't be complaining having been overlooked for the first match against New Zealand.
Matt Roller adds: "Topley has been lethal against left-handers throughout his ODI career, averaging 18.43 against them compared to 28.41 against right-handers. His stock ball moves into a right-hander but away from a left-hander’s outside edge, and his height means he can get the ball to leap from a good length – as with the delivery that accounted for Tanzid Hasan."
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Litton Das - time to shine
An interesting graph came across my X-feed last night:
The opener has just tucked Chris Woakes into midwicket, flayed him through backward point and then lifted comfortably over to the leg side for three fours in the first over. Das averages a paltry 2.33 in three innings against England in ODIs but - with 12 from 6 already in his fourth - has bettered his previous best of 7 against them.
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On the podium
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England post 364 for 9 - Roller's verdict...
It is unlikely to be the difference between them winning and losing, but England have fallen away badly towards the end of this innings, losing 8 for 98 in the final 12.4 overs. When Dawid Malan was bowled by Mahedi Hasan and Jos Buttler walked out at No. 4, 400 looked on the cards; instead, they have stuttered to 364 for 9.
Perhaps there have been some lessons for their own seamers about how to bowl on this pitch. Shoriful Islam’s three wickets all came with slower balls, which appeared to grip just enough to prompt mistimed shots from Buttler and Joe Root, while his off-cutter knocked Liam Livingstone’s off stump out of the ground.
The selection headache for England moving forward is that picking the attack they have today – which looks more balanced than the one they selected in Ahmedabad – means a slightly longer tail, with Reece Topley (a genuine No. 11) playing ahead of Moeen Ali. They need their middle-order engine room to fire in a way they haven’t in these first two games.
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A brilliant final 5 overs from Shoriful Islam
An exceptional comeback from the left-arm seamer. Having conceded 46 in his first five overs, the second five has returned 3 for 29 as he readjusted his approach and delved into his box of tricks. He's been able backed up by Mahedi Hasan, who now has four after Adil Rashid falls to a swipe to midwicket, courtesy of a smart relay catch on the sponge.
England 358 for 8 with six legal deliveries left in their innings
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England pegged back
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Excellent from Bangladesh, especially Shoriful Islam, who has three of the four wickets to fall in the last five overs. Mahedi Hasan, drafted in for Mahmudullah, pitches in with his second, removing Harry Brook with a pace-off delivery hit straight to Litton Das at long off.
England 329 for 6 with 5 overs to go
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Is it too late now to say Shori?
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An outstanding set from Shoriful Islam applies the brakes in the 42nd over. Removes Joe Root with another knuckle ball - top-edged to the keeper - before following up with a gorgeous cutter that flattens Livingstone's off stump. Hat-trick delivery to come in the left-armer's next over...
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Shoriful's dipping delivery does for Buttler
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Malan goes for 140, Buttler comes in
And strikes his second ball for six! Helped by the altitude there because the connection did not sound all that sweet. No sooner had Mahedi Hasan finally got a wicket to add a bit of gloss to some ugly figures, Buttler makes them a little worse. Root caps the over off with a skip and slap over mid off.
In case you were wondering, Buttler's 13 previous knocks at No.4 has him averaging 73.44 at a strike rate of 166.91...
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Suddenly you look up and...
... Joe Root is England's highest run-scorer in ODI World Cups, surpassing Graham Gooch's tally of 897.
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Eyes Emoji
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Back-to-back fifties for Joe Root
More gold from Sampath: This is only the fifth instance of century partnerships for the first two wickets in a team innings at the men's ODI World Cup. Three of those five have come versus Bangladesh.
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Malan motors!
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Dawid Malan celebrates his century with some fireworks of his own - 20 blazed off the final four deliveries of Mehedi Hasan's 6th over. Probably jinxing this, but 400 an outside shot here given how things have played out, and with Harry Brook, Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone still to come...
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Dawid Malan makes it to three figures - Matt Roller has his say...
Dawid Malan has his first World Cup hundred and his sixth in just 23 ODI innings - quicker than any other man to that haul. He nudges Shakib Al Hasan into the covers, scampers through for a single and then soaks in the applause from a growing crowd in Dharamsala.
Malan’s previous two ICC events – the last two T20 World Cups – hadn’t gone to plan. Across eight innings, his highest score was 41 with an average of 28.66 and a strike rate of just 104. But he has long held that 50-over cricket is the format that comes most naturally to him, and has proved as much over the past six weeks.
His form against New Zealand in September – and Jason Roy’s absence through multiple back spasms – meant that he went from England’s spare batters to Jonny Bairstow’s opening partner, and after a false start in Ahmedabad, he has shown his value in Dharamsala today, taking down the seamers early on before ticking over against spin.
There is some irony, too, in the fact that he is in the middle with Joe Root as he brings up the landmark. Only a year ago, England weren’t sure they could accommodate both Root and Malan in the same team; now, they have added an unbroken 80 for the second wicket at a run a ball, and are batting Bangladesh out of the game.
As Sampath Bandarupalli notes, he becomes England's oldest centurion at a men's World Cup – aged 36 years, 37 days
Root relieves the pressure
36 Balls since last boundary before Root's scoop
Tick it off your bingo list! Root switches his hands to lift Mustafizur for six, high over fine leg. Bangladesh had administered a tight squeeze on proceedings, so that was a welcome boundary for England.
Root follows it up with a brace of fours against Shakib an over later, with a "traditional" reverse sweep followed by a slap over midwicket.
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Nasty tumble for Mustafizur... but he's OK
A wild start to Mustafizur Rahman's fifth over, as Joe Root pulls out just as the left-arm quick leaps into his gather from over the wicket.
There's been a fair bit of movement behind the bowler's arm already, but this seemed purely down to the fact Root had not spotted Mustafizur running in to start the 23rd over. The batter pulls away, the bowler, in aborting his delivery, ends up falling over his feet and jarring his right ankle.
Luckily, following some attention from the Bangladesh physio, he bowls his six deliveries, remains on the field at third, and returns to bowl the 25th.
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Shakib strikes!
The opening stand is finally stopped on 115 - thanks to Shakib Al Hasan.
The left-arm spinner gets one to scuttle on with the arm from around the wicket, clattering into Bairstow's leg stump. Much-needed breakthrough brings Joe Root to the crease. Perhaps a little less bounce in that one? Definitely something to work with. The skipper closes out the 18th over and, sensing an opportunity, brings Taskin Ahmed back into the attack
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Bairstow reaches his half-century
A third in World Cups, a first in ODIs since the severe ankle injury sustained on a golf course at the end of the 2022 English summer, and 27th time past fifty in this format. In his 100th cap, no less.
England 102 for no loss after 16 overs
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Big score incoming...
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Matt Roller on Dawid Malan's 1st ODI World Cup fifty
Dawid Malan’s first World Cup innings against New Zealand was a non-event, making 14 off 24 balls as he was worked over by Matt Henry in Ahmedabad. But he has looked in fine touch in Dharamsala, racing to a 39-ball half-century with 40 of his runs coming in boundaries.
Malan tends to thrive in conditions like these, when he can trust the bounce of the pitch, and has shown off his full repertoire with two towering sixes off Mustafizur Rahman – including a slog-sweep – and a deft reverse-sweep off Shakib Al Hasan. His record in this format really is extraordinary: this is his 23rd ODI innings, and he has reached 50 in 11 of them.
Good early signs for him and for England: if they can stay on top of Bangladesh’s spinners, they will be eyeing up a similar score to the one they posted the last time these two teams met at an ODI World Cup.
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61/0 after 10 overs
Good start from England, particularly after that early movement. Bairstow and Malan have punished anything that's been overpitched and a couple dragged a little too short. They've combined for 12 boundaries so far, with Malan striking the two sixes, both over square leg, both off Mustafizur. Now to negotiate the upcoming trial by spin, led by Shakib himself...
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Fizz first?
Shoriful Islam got the game underway against Afghanistan here on Saturday, but Mustafizur Rahman has taken the new ball...
The Fizz has beaten Dawid Malan for pace and movement plenty of times already, even having a review on a caught behind that climbed on the left-hander through to the keeper (shoulder of man rather than shoulder of bat, it turns out). And now Malan is fighting back... an eventful 3rd over from the quick
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Honours even after 2 overs
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Mustafizur and Taskin opening up for Bangladesh, with a pretty even start to the innings. Boundaries for both Bairstow and Malan, punctuated by some indecision from Shakib Al Hasan with the field. He's not too sure about his slip - definitely needs one with the early movement - because of the desire to reinforce the covers. Pitch looks good and true so far
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Pace to get England back on Top?
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Bangladesh win the toss, field first
Jos Buttler tosses, Shakib Al Hassan calls correctly and Bangladesh will chase today!
Both sides make one change. Mamadullah comes out, in comes off-spinning allrounder Mahedi Hasan. England opt for the extra pace option with Reece Topley's lurching left-arm seam replacing Moeen Ali.
Bangladesh: 1 Litton Das, 2, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, 3, Najmul Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (c), 5 Mehidy Hassan Miraz, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Tawhid Hridoy, Mahedi Hasan, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
England: 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (c, wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Reece Topley
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Hundred up for Bairstow
In among the movement at the ground this morning, including Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Reece Topley and Mark Wood marking their run-ups, was a cap presentation to mark Jonny Bairstow's 100th ODI.
Eoin Morgan, on deck as a commentator, led proceedings, having captained Bairstow for 75 of them. Here's Matt Roller's piece on Bairstow's eventful journey to three figures in the format.
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Morning from the mountains
Welcome one and all to coverage of this 7th match of the 2023 World Cup, as Bangladesh and England do battle under the watchful gaze of the Himalayas.
It is probably too early to call this a must-win for the defending champions in a format geared towards allowing the “bigger” teams a better shot at making it through to the semi-finals. After all, England lost three times in 2019 and still ended up with the big prize. But the nine-wicket shellacking at the hands of New Zealand has them wary of yet more woe against opponents who have bested them on this stage twice in the last three editions.
Ben Stokes’ hip issue means he will sit this one out, but Reece Topley could make his first appearance of the tournament instead of Moeen Ali, as Jos Buttler plumps for the extra seamer on a bouncier surface ahead of the additional spin option. For Bangladesh, we expect an unchanged XI given the ease with which they bested Afghanistan on Saturday with 92 deliveries to spare on this very ground.
While anxieties around performance are not shared with vastly different results in their first matches, they certainly are when it comes to matters underfoot. The sandy base of the Dharamsala outfield has come under fierce scrutiny and won’t have been helped by an electrical shower overnight. It is likely to be heavier under foot, and one imagines the grass cuttings laid out on the bald patches this morning won’t make the slightest bit of difference.
Nevertheless, we are set for a fascinating showdown between Lions and Tigers. While we wait for the toss, here’s our expansive match preview…
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