T20 World Cup 2021: 3 positives England can draw from their clinical win over Bangladesh
England are the no.1-ranked team in the T20Is and they performed like one in their clinical eight-wicker win over Bangladesh in the ongoing T20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. After diffusing defending champions West Indies emphatically in their tournament opener on Saturday, England's win over Bangladesh has put them in a commanding position as frontrunners to qualify for the semi-finals from Group 1.
England's bowlers have variety and depth, which were on display in their first two T20 World Cup 2021 fixtures. Against Bangladesh, the batters ensured that England sailed smoothly, thereby living up to their tag of being one of the favorites to win the title.
2⃣ from 2⃣ 💪
Scorecard: ms.spr.ly/6016kD6vQ
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On that note, let's have a closer look at the three positives England can draw from their admirable win over Bangladesh squad for T20 World Cup.
#1 Dawid Malan spending crucial time in the middle
Dawid Malan is the no.1-ranked batter in the ICC T20I rankings. However, his place in the England side has always been under scrutiny. The southpaw is more of a touch-and-feel player, unlike his teammates Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow who are known for their swashbuckling stroke play.
Malan is not a power hitter like his peers and uses the pace of the bowlers to maneuver the ball into the gaps. The majority of his quality performances in T20Is have come at venues where the ball comes nicely onto the bat, which is conducive to Malan's style of batting.
However, with the T20 World Cup being staged in the UAE and Oman, the slower and spinning conditions are far from ideal for Malan to succeed. In a bid to chase down runs quickly, he was not sent out to bat against West Indies, certainly not the start Malan was hoping for on a personal level.
Nonetheless, his unbeaten knock of 28 runs off 25 balls against Bangladesh will give the left-hander some much-needed confidence ahead of England's important fixture against Australia on Saturday.
Malan spending some decent time in the middle is certainly one of the positives that England can take home from their victory over Bangladesh. The 34-year-old is England's crisis man, one who can hold their innings together if the other batters falter on a tricky wicket.
Being a left-hander, he provides the right balance to England's star-studded batting line-up packed with right-handers. Malan is a vital cog in the English set-up as they aim to recreate the magic of 2010 when they won the T20 World Cup.
You can find the full T20 World Cup match list here.
#2 Liam Livingstone chipping in with two wickets as a part-timer
We are aware of Liam Livingstone's prowess with the bat. But he is a decent part-time leg-spinner as well, with his bowling prowess being on display against Bangladesh. Weaving his magic with the ball, Livingstone claimed two important scalps in the form of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah.
England skipper Eoin Morgan is a firm believer in data analytics and matchups, introducing the part-timer at a time when the partnership between the two right-handers - Rahim and Mahmudullah - seemed to be flourishing.
Livingstone didn't disappoint his captain as he returned with figures of 2-15 from three overs. His success against Bangladesh opens up another genuine bowling option for England, who can expect him to play a role against teams stacked with right-handers.
While England do have great depth and versatility in their bowling department, Livingstone can offer captain Morgan an insurance cushion just in case a first-choice bowler has an off-day.
#3 Further boost to England's net run rate
England are placed in Group 1, which is a tougher group among the two. After they chased down 125 in just 14.1 overs against Bangladesh, courtesy of Jason Roy's blistering half-century, England's current net run rate (NRR) now stands at a whooping +3.614.
After recording two wins in as many matches and on account of having a superior NRR, England are virtually just one win away from sealing a semi-final berth.
England's superior NRR offers them a great deal of cushion as they prepare themselves to take on Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka in their remaining group stage matches.
A dominant team performance with bat and ball 💪
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Alongside Pakistan, England appear to be the team to beat in the T20 World Cup so far. It will be intriguing to follow the remainder of their journey as they attempt to hold two world titles at the same time after they won the 50-over World Cup on their home soil in 2019.