In their second match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Bangladesh suffered a mammoth 137-run defeat in the hands of England at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on Tuesday.
With this win, England have come back with a bang and have now moved to fifth on the points table. Bangladesh have gone below England. Very early days but that's how things stand now. It was a thoroughly clinical performance from England, especially after the shellacking they received in the first game. Dawid Malan set up the innings with 140 and was given great support by Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root as England racked up 364 for 9. This despite a lower order collapse. Reece Topley then killed the chase inside the first ten overs. He removed Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto off successive balls in his first over and then sent back Shakib AL Hasan with a peach. Litton Das (76) and Mushfiqur Rahim (51) were the only shining lights for Bangladesh, who were bowled out for 227 in 48.2 overs.
Earlier, Mahedi Hasan got four wickets but Dawid Malan’s swashbuckling century put England on top as the Three Lions posted 364 against Bangladesh.
Jos Buttler's men showed no signs of a hangover after the nine-wicket mauling they suffered at the hands of New Zealand in their tournament opener.
Shakib al Hasan won the toss and elected to bowl first but it backfired when England’s openers knocked Tiger bowlers for a hundred-run partnership.
During 17th over, Shakib stunned opener Jonny Bairstow, who is playing his 100th ODI, with a brilliant arm delivery to uproot his stumps as the captain of Bangladesh broke a 115-run opening stand.
As Bairstow's 52-run innings came to an end, Shakib flighted one outside off before drawing his length fuller and having one go through the bat and pad.
But Malan continued to flow the run-wheel with Joe Root as they put 151 partnership before Mahedi Hasan clean bowled Malan.
Malan, who has displaced Jason Roy at the top of the order, cruised to his fifty off 39 balls with a mixture of timing and power.
Malan hit his sparkling fourth century to help England pile up a mammoth total, scored 140 off 107 with 16 fours and five maximums.
English skipper came up to keep the run going but his cameo innings of 20 from 10 came to an end, a knuckleball off Shoriful Islam angled across wide of the stumps, hard to time the cross-batted swipe and it cannoned down into the base.
Root holed out for 82, top-edging a Shoriful ball that was caught by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim and Liam Livingstone had his off-stump flattened first ball.
Harry Brook flickered briefly before finding Litton Das at long off to give Mahedi his second wicket.
Bangladesh had done well to wrestle back some momentum and Sam Curran was next to go, caught on the boundary off the bowling of Mahedi.
Wickets kept tumbling but a few late blows meant England set Bangladesh a daunting 365 to win in their 50 overs and will be confident they can defend that total.
Mahedi finished his spell with 4 for 71, while Shorful got three.