Big image – Familiar nemesis awaits faltering England
Six matches down, 42 to return… it is too quickly to type any broad judgements in regards to the future of the 2023 World Cup. However, as England’s chastened cricketers head for the match’s highest peak in Dharamsala, they achieve this with clear purpose to doubt their readiness to scale the heights that they conquered so memorably on house soil 4 years in the past.
The wider concern for England is that such wake-up calls needs to be needed in any respect. Their opening show betrayed an comprehensible diploma of rustiness, given the condensed nature of their match build-up, however furthermore an absence of readability throughout their XI. Once it had develop into clear that England’s batting had did not fulfil its aspect of the cut price – and ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball knowledge confirmed that probably the most attacking line-up in ODI historical past had attacked a mere 17% of its deliveries throughout their flatlining innings – the bowlers (World Cup winners every body) broadly panicked, jettisoning any pretence that they might defend a sub-par whole of 282, and as a substitute imploding in a rash of attacking desperation.
At which level, enter a well-recognized World Cup nemesis. Bangladesh can hardly declare the foothills of the Himalayas as “home” situations, however their perfunctory dispatching of Afghanistan at this identical venue on Saturday was a passable means of creating their very own credentials as one of many 5 Asian sides competing on this match. And, as if England will not already be cautious, their World Cup reminiscences from Chittagong in 2011 and, famously, Adelaide in 2015 – two earlier events when Bangladesh bested their confused campaigners – must have put their game-brains on crimson alert.
There might be as much as 4 survivors on all sides from that 2015 encounter, the bottom zero of England’s rebuild in the direction of their superb redemption 4 years later. For Bangladesh, Mahmudullah’s sensible hundred set the group on their manner, in league with Mushfiqur Rahim’s 89 from 77, whereas Taskin Ahmed’s priceless extraction of Buttler all however sealed the deal, after Shakib Al Hasan’s usually wily ten overs had becalmed an already safety-first run-chase. For England, Moeen Ali, Joe Root and Chris Woakes full the function of veterans, all of whom will likely have their very own takeaways from a deeply ignominious event.
There is, nevertheless, a more moderen World Cup contest that England would possibly favor to fall again on – from Cardiff in 2019, when England confronted Bangladesh off the again of a dangerous loss to Pakistan of their second league-stage sport. Then, they scarcely blinked in slamming alongside to a 106-run win, thanks specifically to the now-absent Jason Roy, whose sensible 153 epitomised the run-towards-the-danger method that Eoin Morgan then, and Buttler now, imagine is England’s finest means of achieving glory. However, with 9 wins and 11 losses of their final 15 months of ODI motion, England now not appear fairly so positive of what to do with themselves as soon as they’ve charged into that burning constructing.
Ostensibly, the situations in Dharamsala must favour a reversion to English sort. The mixture of tight dimensions and excessive altitude ought to invite England’s heavy artillery to unleash their full would possibly – and so they definitely stood on no ceremony in a carefree warm-up towards Bangladesh in Guwahati final week, after they romped by a rain-reduced run-chase with 77 balls left unused.
It’s not the one factor about England’s marketing campaign that has not, thus far, been ultimate. As Bangladesh have proven on this stage earlier than, they’re a taxing group to place away when your thoughts just isn’t absolutely within the second.
Form information
Bangladesh WLLWL (final 5 accomplished matches, most up-to-date first)
England LWWWW
In the highlight – Liam Livingstone and Mehidy Hasan Miraz
In the continued absence of Ben Stokes, and with Moeen prone to make manner for a further seamer, the highlight falls extra squarely on Liam Livingstone because the all-round pivot of this England group. His canny legspin/offspin choices present some extent of distinction that units him aside, however with a lot consideration on England’s batting proper now, that’s the aspect of his sport wherein he must step up.
Despite an outstanding 95 not out to show the latest house collection towards New Zealand, Livingstone’s general batting type has underwhelmed for some months now. In his remaining three matches of the English summer season, he managed one six and three fours from a complete of 96 deliveries. Then within the match opener in Ahmedabad final week, he was culpable in England’s downfall after holing out meekly for 20 from 22 balls. The impression Livingstone has repeatedly given is of a person too wanting to blaze the ball out of the park, and never sufficiently focussed on holding his form and channelling his undoubted energy. Not in contrast to the England group as an entire, you would possibly say.
Talking of spin-bowling allrounders, Mehidy Hasan Miraz‘s show towards Afghanistan was every thing his aspect might presumably have hoped for. In his main function, he cleaned up with 3 for 25, together with a deliciously dipping offbreak to Hashmatullah Shahidi that lured him right into a free hack to mid-on, and opened Afghanistan up for a collapse of 8 for 42 in 13 overs.
Then, after being despatched out to bat at No. 3 after the early run-out of Tanzid Hasan, Mehidy anchored an unruffled chase with 57 from 73 balls, following swiftly on from his century towards the identical opponents in final month’s Asia Cup. His composure as a batter is not any secret to anybody who witnessed his series-seizing heroics towards India in Mirpur final yr, together with a century from No. 8, whereas no fewer than six of England’s squad will bear in mind him from his Test debut as a youngster in 2016, when his 12-wicket haul in Mirpur sealed one other well-known win. It simply goes to indicate, Bangladesh possess a wealth of gamers with the ability and expertise to grab any given day.
Team news – Stokes out as England ponder additional seamer
Stokes appears a near-certain absentee for the second match operating, having struggled with a hip flexor harm since his arrival in India. Reece Topley is in line for his first outing of the match, probably as a alternative for Moeen in a reinforcement of England’s seam-bowling shares, though an extra rotation of their quicks is not out of the query after an underwhelming exhibiting towards New Zealand.
England (doable): 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley.
There’s little purpose for Bangladesh to vary a successful group, though offspinner Mahedi Hasan was trying energetic within the nets on match eve, and will come into consideration forward of Mahmudullah – the hero of that 2015 takedown – who bowled a solitary over towards Afghanistan and didn’t bat.
Bangladesh (doable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahmudullah/Mahedi Hasan, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Pitch and situations
The climate is cooler than it had been in Ahmedabad, though not considerably. A contemporary pitch has been ready for this second fixture, two strips throughout from the floor that proved robust for run-scoring within the Afghanistan vs Bangladesh sport, and seam bowlers have beforehand thrived right here, from Tim Bresnan in 2013 to Suranga Lakmal 4 years later. It’s the outfield, nevertheless, that has been the main target of the pre-match build-up, with the sand-based floor inflicting Mujeeb Ur Rahman to jar his knee awkwardly whereas sliding to intercept a Shakib boundary. The heavy nature of the floor might scale back the reward for floor strokes too.
Stats and trivia
Quotes
“I think it’s poor, in my own opinion. I think any time you’re talking about being careful diving, or maybe being careful when you’re fielding, it goes against everything you want to be as a team.”
Jos Buttler is unimpressed with the state of the outfield in Dharamsala
“We didn’t expect such a wicket in Dharamsala, but we found there was turn in our first two or three overs. The ball stopped a bit.”
Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh’s match-winning spinner towards Afghanistan, admits the quantity of flip in that contest had taken the group unexpectedly.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
Source web site: www.espncricinfo.com
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