Internet Desk: Hosts England will start their ICC Champions Trophy 2017 campaign against Bangladesh tomorrow at Kensington oval, London in a Group A match. Australia and New Zealand are the other teams from the group.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
19 matches; England 15 wins; Bangladesh 4 wins
THE FORM
Imagine someone predicting two years back that England would be one of the top picks for a global One-Day International competition, or that Bangladesh would be ranked higher than Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the West Indies. They are the two most improved ODI sides in world cricket, and in many ways, it’s apt that they will kick-start the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 with their Group A clash at The Oval.
England has scored more than 300 an astonishing 21 times since the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Just to put that number in context, England topped 300 only seven times in the four years prior to that tournament. They head into the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 having won four of its last five ODI series at home.
In their final warm-up game at The Oval, Bangladesh’s otherwise-solid preparations were hit hard by a potent Indian seam attack that inflicted a 240-run defeat. Aside from that setback, they have competed well in UK conditions, notching wins against New Zealand and Ireland in Dublin and losing a tight match in the final over against Pakistan at Edgbaston.
THE CONDITIONS
The Oval pitch is traditionally fast and true; as close to a batsman’s paradise as you get in England. The track, however, offers assistance to pacemen who bend their backs, as India demonstrated in that final warm-up game. A fast-scoring ground with a quick outfield should ensure a run-filled match, but if the clouds roll in more heavily than forecast, it could be a different story: as Virat Kohli recently observed, it pays to look up, not down, when assessing the spiciness of English conditions.
THE MATCH-UP
TAMIM IQBAL v MARK WOOD
Tamim Iqbal is Bangladesh’s most explosive and in-form batsman. A century against Pakistan in his last outing and consistent runs in Ireland during the Tri-Nations tournament allied to an ODI average of 49 since the start of 2015 suggests a batsman coming into his prime, and with fond memories of England – it was here in 2010 that Tamim, then 22, wowed the Lord’s crowd with a memorable run-a-ball Test century – he will be Bangladesh’s best batting hope. Opening up against the express pace of Mark Wood will provide one of the game’s defining subplots – Wood has emerged as England’s fastest and most likely game-changing seamer, as evidenced by his inspired final over against South Africa in the second ODI at Southampton, when the Proteas, needing just seven to win, finished two short. Neither will take a backward step: their contest could well dictate the course of the match.
THE WILDCARDS
England: Liam Plunkett
Aged 32, the Yorkshire quick is bowling better than ever, with 17 wickets at 14 in his last seven ODIs. When the ball has stopped swinging and any early juice has gone from the pitch, England look to Plunkett’s pace and bounce to offer a wicket-taking threat in the middle overs and knock the opposition off their stride. It’s a role he performed effectively in the recent series against South Africa, taking three middle-order wickets at Southampton when the Proteas appeared on course for victory.
Bangladesh: Mosaddek Hossain
The 21-year-old right-hander has yet to cement a place in Bangladesh’s line-up but he is regarded as a special talent, with teammate Tamim Iqbal picking him out as one to watch in this tournament. He showed his class with an unbeaten 50 from No.8 against New Zealand at Christchurch last December and he is expected to bat one or two places higher against England. A first-class average of 67, with seven centuries from 22 matches, allied to his developing off-spin and electric fielding, marks him out as a youngster worth keeping an eye on.
WATCH OUT FOR…
Bangladesh’s teenage spin sensation Mehedi Hasan Miraz terrifying the cream of English batsmanship. In October 2016, Mehedi’s 12-wicket haul at Dhaka – in just his second Test – inspired Bangladesh’s inaugural Test win over England. The hosts’ approach will be to attack him; Ben Stokes, in particular – who made his first ODI hundred against Bangladesh on that same tour – will be eyeing up the gasholders at deep midwicket.
TEAMS
England: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wk), Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Mosaddek Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Sanzamul Islam, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal, Taskin Ahmed.