The England cricket team has started their tour of Bangladesh with a bang, winning the first match of their three-match ODI series by three wickets. The match played on March 1 at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, was a nail-biting affair, with both teams giving it their all.
Bangladesh’s Performance
Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first, but their top order struggled to get going. Tamim Iqbal, who returned to the international circuit after a long gap of five months, scored 23 runs before being dismissed by Mark Wood. Despite Najmul Hossain Shanto’s impressive 58, Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mushfiqur Rahim only managed 7, 8, and 16 runs respectively.
This scoring was a disappointing performance compared to their previous win against India in December, where the same players scored 7, 8, and 12, but the lower order was able to save the game.
Shanto’s standout performance was a rare bright spot in an otherwise lackluster effort from the Bangladesh side. With key players struggling to find form, the team will need to regroup and refocus if they hope to come back and win the remaining matches in the series.
Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam added some runs toward the end, but the team was bowled out for 209 in 47.2 overs. Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, and Moeen Ali picked up two wickets each.
England’s Performance
In reply, England got off to a shaky start, losing wickets at regular intervals. But Dawid Malan held his nerve and played outstanding innings to take his team to victory. Malan scored his fourth ODI hundred, staying unbeaten on 114 off 145 balls, with eight fours and four sixes.
Will Jacks provided some support, scoring 26 runs, but it was Malan who stole the show. England found themselves in trouble at 161 for seven, but Malan and Adil Rashid added an unbeaten partnership of 51 runs to take their team past the finish line. Rashid scored 17 runs off 29 balls, but his contribution was crucial in ensuring England’s victory.
Next Match Between England and Bangladesh
Overall, it was an entertaining match, with both teams giving it their all. England will be delighted with their victory, but Bangladesh will look to bounce back in the remaining two matches of the series. The next match is scheduled for March 3, and cricket fans can expect another thrilling encounter between these two sides.
In the past, England and Bangladesh have faced each other in 22 matches in ODI. Out of these 22 games, England has won 18, whereas Bangladesh has come out victorious on 4 occasions.
After the ODI series, the two teams will have a T20I series against each other. The upcoming T20I series between these two teams marks their first-ever bilateral meeting in this format. Previously, they only encountered each other in a T20 World Cup match in 2021.
As the T20I matches will take place after the ODI series, the English cricketers will be participating in the white-ball series until March 6th.
