The Weeknd’s hit number Blinding Lights was blaring from a Bluetooth speaker as Harry Brook headed to the nets on Monday at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, accompanied by two net bowlers: a left-arm spinner and a leg-spinner.
He shaped up for the cut first ball from the left-arm finger spinner and was hit on the pads. After a few plays and misses and a couple of close leaves later, Brook started middling the ball and held his shape after playing a pretty drive on the ground.
On cue, the speaker played Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You. England’s net session had a proper British vibe going, with Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, and Harry Styles providing the ideal background score.
Brook batted for 45 minutes, the bulk of it against left-arm spin, setting the tone for the rest of the English batters as they prepared for Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan.
England is the first side to be ODI and T20 world champion simultaneously, and that’s for a reason. Take them lightly at your peril. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
For its upcoming match against Bangladesh, England will have to adjust from the hot and humid climate of Ahmedabad, where temperatures reach 35 degrees, to the cooler climate of Dharamsala up north, where the mercury levels will be around 24 degrees during the morning when the match begins.
New Zealand’s emphatic nine-wicket victory over England in the opening match of the 2023 ODI World Cup has sent a strong message to the other teams in the tournament that the Three Lions are not invincible. The way they lost the match highlighted the same batting timidity that hurt their campaign in 2015.
Despite the low crowd turnout in Ahmedabad, the fans would have hoped to see England put up a fight. The English line-up has several players who have made a name for themselves in the Indian Premier League, including Jos Buttler, who received the loudest cheer from the crowd when he came out to bat.
But the approach displayed a lack of confidence in the batting line-up. The only partnership of more than 40 runs was between Joe Root, who scored 77 from 86 balls, and Buttler, who hit 43 off 42. Bangladesh can take advantage of this. The absence of Ben Stokes continues to be an impediment. He was moving gingerly in the nets on Monday, and when he stretched forward to get to the pitch of the ball, he showed visible signs of discomfort.
Stokes wasn’t at ease in the nets on Monday. | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini/ The Hindu
The pitch used for the Bangladesh versus Afghanistan match in Dharamsala was slower than expected and didn’t provide much support to the pacers. Tuesday’s match will be played on a fresh pitch, two strips from Saturday’s surface. If it is also slightly dry and holding, England’s batters may have trouble playing freely.
Bangladesh’s attack is diverse, with left and right arm, swing, and spin bowlers. If the pitch is slow, it will be difficult to hit length balls, but fuller ones will disappear. Bangladesh’s quick bowlers will aim to target the back-of-a-length region.
Mustafizur Rahman effectively used the short-ball approach in the first PowerPlay against Afghanistan by placing men at deep point and deep square leg. This strategy is one way to play with the egos of hard-hitting English openers and tempt them into making mistakes.
However, their radars with the new ball, particularly from Shoriful Islam, were not accurate. Against a formidable pair like Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan, they cannot afford such profligacy.
Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took six wickets between them by simply bowling to their fields. They had fielders at the edge of the circle and invited the Afghan batters to clear the circle by tossing the ball up to slightly fuller lengths. England has a more accomplished set of batters, but their response to Bangladesh’s spin traps could potentially determine the outcome of the game.
Teams facing England should be cautious about using too much left-arm spin, as it has three left-handers in its top seven in the absence of Stokes. It will be interesting to see how Shakib manages his overs, as it is a shorter hit on leg side and a 75-metre hit down the ground.
The presence of left-handed batters in the team also brings off-spinners into play during the middle-overs. Mehidy should benefit from this opportunity to bowl to England. Although English players tend to play the sweep shot to counter spin, the extra bounce in Dharamsala could bring top edges into play. The fact that the ground is more than 1,400 metres above sea level means a strong cross-wind could even carry mishits over the fence.
That being said, England will still start as favourite on Tuesday. Bangladesh’s top-order can be susceptible to high pace. But as Mark Wood found out a few nights ago, pace can travel too.
Bangladesh will be aware that England is the first side to be ODI and T20 world champion simultaneously, and that’s for a reason. Take them lightly at your peril.
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