On Tuesday, October 10, England is set to face Bangladesh in Match 7 of the ICC World Cup 2023. The match will take place at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala, Kangra, India, at 11 am Bangladesh time.
Preview of ENG vs. BAN ODI in ICC World Cup 2023
England, who won the last World Cup in 2019, lost their first game to New Zealand by nine wickets in the ongoing ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. This probably made the captain, Jos Buttler, feel a bit nervous. Now, he surely wants his team to do better in the next game against Bangladesh in Dharamsala on Tuesday. Losing to New Zealand was like a warning for Buttler. But the good thing is, many of his teammates are familiar with Indian pitches and conditions because they've played in the Indian Premier League. So, Buttler is hopeful they'll bounce back strongly in the next match.
Scoring 282 runs was already a tough task to defend at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, the way Kiwi opener Devon Conway and young left-handed batter Rachin Ravindra took apart the England bowling was remarkable. They both scored unbeaten centuries and finished the game in just the 37th over. This would have surely made the team management and fans back home quite nervous.
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Even though former England captain Joe Root, opener Jonny Bairstow, and the current captain Jos Buttler made some helpful contributions, the team missed a significant individual innings. This absence of a big inning ultimately led to the defending champions losing the opening match.
On the other hand, Bangladesh would like to take the benefit of England’s loss of confidence and try to get their second win. Bangladesh won a big match against Afghanistan in Dharamsala. First, they bowled out Afghanistan for only 156 runs, and then they easily reached the target by scoring more runs in less than 35 overs with 6 wickets left.
The heroes of the match for Bangladesh were their spinners, Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. They both took 3 wickets each and didn't let Afghanistan score runs. Shoriful Islam, who bowls with his left hand, also did a good job by taking 2 wickets for 34 runs.
Now, England's batters will find it hard to score against Bangladesh's spinners on this field. Bangladesh players are used to the playing conditions, and they have some special moves to win the game. Also, fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who took 12 wickets in the last 6 matches, will make it tough for England with his bouncing and moving deliveries.
Even though England is the favorite in the next match, Bangladesh has a good chance of changing that expectation. Nevertheless, the defending champions are aware that they cannot afford to lose another game in a row. So, we can expect a good fight in the ENG vs. BAN World Cup 2023 match.
Read more: Analysis of Bangladesh Squad for ICC World Cup 2023
BAN vs. ENG Head-to-Head ODI Matches so far
England and Bangladesh met 24 times so far in ODI matches, and England has the upper hand. They have won 19 times, while Bangladesh has won only 5 times. In their most recent encounter, England won a series at Bangladesh with 2-1, which took place on March 1-6, 2023. However, Bangladesh managed to win the last match of that series.
Table: BAN vs. England Head-to-Head ODI Matches So Far
| Matches | Bangladesh Won | England Won | No Result |
| 24 | 5 | 19 | 0 |
In the ODI World Cup, England and Bangladesh have faced each other four times, and each team has won two matches. In their latest encounter during the 2019 World Cup, England emerged victorious, defeating Bangladesh by 109 runs.
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Probable England XI
Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Harry Brook/ Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (c & wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
Probable Bangladesh XI
Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman.
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Key English Players to Watch
Dawid Malan
Dawid Malan will be a key player in the next match, as he scored 416 runs in his last 7 matches, averaging almost 70 runs per match. Additionally, he has a strong record against Bangladesh in ODIs, with an average of 62.50. This suggests that he should be able to handle Bangladesh's spin-bowling threat effectively.
Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler is one of the most dangerous middle-order batters globally and is currently in good form. In his last 11 matches in 2023, he scored 591 runs with an average of 59.10 and a strike rate of 109.85. So, he is someone Bangladesh needs to watch out for in the upcoming match.
Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes, who couldn't play in the first match due to a minor injury, might be back for the upcoming game. If he returns, his presence will bring added stability to the middle order of the team. This year, he scored 235 runs from 3 matches, which is very impressive.
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Key Bangladeshi Players to Watch
Najmul Hossain Shanto
In terms of batting, the Bangladesh team will look to Najmul Hossain Shanto to perform once again. He has been in excellent form in recent months, scoring 757 runs in his last 16 matches in 2023 at an impressive average of 54.07. In the last game, he was the top scorer for the team, making an unbeaten 59 off 83 balls.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Keep an eye on another player, Mehidy Hasan Miraz. This all-rounder is gaining more confidence with each game, and in the last match against Afghanistan, he played a crucial role by scoring a significant 57 runs during the chase. And he also has an impressive record against England.
Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib, who has a lot of experience, might need to step up with the bat in this game, especially if the top order faces difficulties. The last time these two teams met in the ODI World Cup, Shakib played a crucial role by scoring an impressive 121 runs. So, he will need to replicate that performance to lead Bangladesh.
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Final Words
One thing we can be sure of is that England won't easily overpower Bangladesh in this match. Bangladesh is familiar with the playing conditions, and their bowlers are likely to pose challenges for England's batters. However, we believe England's bowling unit will perform well, especially with the support of the pitch. The potential comeback of Ben Stokes will also strengthen their team. At the same time, Bangladesh has the capability to give England a tough fight and might even give a surprise. Considering the overall balance and strength of the two teams, it seems like England has a competitive edge in the ENG vs. BAN ICC World Cup 2023 match.