1 year ago
239
NEW DELHI: In their World Cup opener, defending champions
England
faced a daunting nine-wicket loss to New Zealand, leaving captain Jos Buttler undoubtedly rattled. The skipper is now fervently hoping for a resounding comeback when his team takes on Bangladesh in the upcoming match.
The defeat to New Zealand acted as a harsh wake-up call for Buttler and his squad, despite their familiarity with Indian pitches and conditions, owing to many of them participating in the Indian Premier League.
Playing at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, England's score of 282 was always going to be a challenging target to defend. However, the manner in which Kiwi opener Devon Conway and young left-handed batter Rachin Ravindra dismantled the England bowling, both scoring unbeaten centuries and wrapping up the game in just the 37th over, would have sent shockwaves through the team management and their fans.
While New Zealand's pace bowlers, Trent Boult and Matt Henry, wreaked havoc on England's batting lineup, Chris Woakes,
Mark Wood
, and
Sam Curran
struggled to make a dent in the formidable 272-run partnership between Conway and Ravindra.
Despite contributions from former England skipper
Joe Root
, opener Jonny Bairstow, and Buttler himself, the team lacked a substantial individual innings, ultimately costing them the opening match.
Bangladesh, aware of these chinks in England's armor, aims to capitalize on them when they face off at the HPCA Stadium. Concerns about the stadium's outfield quality have been raised, with Afghanistan's coach expressing displeasure following their loss to Bangladesh, citing the risk of player injuries.
Early injuries to key players could prove disastrous for any team's tournament prospects, and both sides are eager to avoid such a scenario. Buttler is calling for a more committed performance from both his batsmen and bowlers, while Bangladesh is riding high on their winning start in the tournament.
Although 36-year-old all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is a constant threat, top-order batters like
Litton Das
,
Mehidy Hasan Miraz
, and Najmul Hossain Shanto have consistently delivered over the years. In a recent low-scoring match against Afghanistan, Miraz and Najmul showcased their prowess with fine half-centuries, chasing down a target of 156 with more than 15 overs to spare.
While England is undoubtedly the favorites, Bangladesh has a knack for turning the tide, and the defending champions are fully aware that they cannot afford a second successive defeat.
(With PTI inputs)
English (US)