Dawid Malan struck a sparkling century before Reece Topley shredded Bangladesh’s top order as England kickstarted their Cricket World Cup campaign with a 137-run victory in Dharamshala.
Jos Buttler’s side had begun their title defence in dreadful style with a nine-wicket defeat to New Zealand but ran out convincing winners against Bangladesh in the foothills of the Himalayas with the Tigers bowled out for 227 chasing 365 for victory as Topley claimed 4-43.
Malan’s sixth ODI ton, and fourth of 2023, underpinned England’s 364-9, with the left-hander hitting a career-best 140 from 107 balls, including 13 fours and five sixes, after his side were put in to bat.
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Malan’s opening partner Jonny Bairstow contributed 52 in his 100th ODI, while Joe Root made a breezy 82 as he surpassed Graham Gooch as his country’s leading run-scorer in 50-over World Cups.
England looked on course for a score close to and perhaps even beyond 400 when they were 296-2 in the 40th over but made only 6-66 in their final 10 overs as Bangladesh fought back with the ball.
Still, the Tigers were left to pursue what would have been their highest ODI score and they soon found themselves 49-4 as Topley – drafted into the side in place of spinner Moeen Ali – picked up two wickets in two balls in his first over and another in his third before Chris Woakes punctuated a leaky spell by bagging his first wicket of the tournament after a poor showing against New Zealand.
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Litton Das (76) and Mushfiqur Rahim (51) compiled half-centuries for Bangladesh but the Tigers ended well short of their target with Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood and Sam Curran mopping up the tail as the innings ended in 48.2 overs – and England improved their net run-rate after it had taken a battering against New Zealand.
England return to action against Afghanistan in Delhi on Sunday, possibly with Ben Stokes fit again after a hip niggle, with the Test captain not risked in Dharamshala on a sandy outfield Buttler had called “poor” before the match.
Bangladesh, who beat Afghanistan by six wickets in their World Cup opener, face early table toppers New Zealand in Chennai on Friday.
Malan hits new heights in view of mountains
Malan anchored England’s innings after surviving a caught-behind review off Mustafizur Rahman on four – DRS showed that the short ball had brushed Malan’s shoulder after missing his bat.
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The 36-year-old soon pumped two further short balls from Mustafizur into the stands over the leg-side as he and Bairstow put on 115 for England’s first wicket in 18 overs before Bairstow was bowled by Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, from a delivery that skidded on to smack leg stump.
Malan then clinched a 91-ball ton during a partnership of 151 from 117 deliveries with Root, thumping four boundaries in a row, including back-to-back maximums, off spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz as he ignited after reaching three figures.
Root, meanwhile, drove, pulled, clipped, swept and scooped his way to successive fifties, after his 77 in the thrashing by New Zealand, eclipsing Gooch’s haul of 897 runs in World Cups in the process.
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Malan was the first of the two to fall, bowled by Mahedi Hasan (4-71) in the 38th over as he looked to heave another leg-side six, with Root then skying Shoriful Islam (3-75) to wicketkeeper Mushfiqur four overs later, one ball before Shoriful took out Livingstone’s off stump to inflict a golden duck on the all-rounder.
The backend of the innings was a sea of wickets and boundaries with Buttler (20), Harry Brook (15), Curran (11), Woakes (14) and Adil Rashid (11) all falling for double digits.
Double digits then evaded four of Bangladesh’s top five with Tanzid Hasan (1) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (0) edging successive deliveries from Topley; the same bowler castling Shakib (1) top of off stump with a peach of a ball and Woakes then nicking off Mehidy (4) as he vindicated Buttler’s decision to keep him on.
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Das, who had plundered three boundaries off Woakes in the first over of the chase, was ultimately undone by the same man, snicking a cutter from the seamer through to Buttler in the 21st over to leave the Tigers 121-5 and when Mushfiqur slashed a short ball from Topley to deep third, Bangladesh were 164-6 in the 31st and all but done.
The game was eventually done when Curran bowled Taskin Ahmed (15) middle stump, one ball after a delivery had flicked the leg peg but did not dislodge the bails.
What’s next?
Host nation and tournament favourites India play Afghanistan in Delhi on Wednesday (9.30am on Sky Sports Cricket), looking to make it two wins from two after a six-wicket victory over five-time champions Australia in Chennai at the weekend.
