 "IND vs PAK: ‘For Pakistan, with their new faces, the pressure is going to be different, India will dominate them’")
 "Why rumours of Sachin Tendulkar becoming next BCCI president are unfounded")
England face a potential banana skin when Eoin Morgan’s beleaguered side play Bangladesh in a make-or-break World Cup clash in Adelaide on Monday. England lost to Bangladesh by two wickets in the last World Cup in 2011 – a match in which Morgan made 63 – but still survived the shock defeat to qualify for the quarter-finals. There will, however, be no second chance this time as England, with one win in four matches, must beat both Bangladesh at the Adelaide Oval and Afghanistan in Sydney on March 13 to stay in contention for the last eight. Even that may not be enough if Bangladesh, who have five points to England’s two, upset co-hosts New Zealand in Hamilton on March 13 to squeak through to the quarter-finals from Pool A. [caption id=“attachment_2116061” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
James Anderson and Eoin Morgan. AP[/caption] Morgan will be expected to lead from the front but the gifted left-hander had scored just two half-centuries in 16 World Cup matches so far, nine of them playing for Ireland in 2007. England have been defeated by Bangladesh just twice in 15 one-day internationals, but a woeful World Cup record over the last 20 years will have even their most optimistic supporters worried. England lost every game against a Test-playing nation in 1996, were dumped out in the first round at home in 1999 and again in 2003, and failed to make the semi-finals in the last two editions in 2007 and 2011. Anderson anguish England’s lone win this time has been against minnows Scotland, but their most embarrassing moment came last Sunday when Sri Lanka chased down what seemed a reasonably challenging target of 310 with nine wickets and 16 deliveries to spare. In 2011, England had all but wrapped up the match in Chittagong when Bangladesh’s ninth-wicket pair of Mohammad Mahmudullah and Shafiul Islam put on 58 off 56 balls to seal victory with six balls remaining. There has been a hundred each in the current tournament from Moeen Ali against Scotland and Joe Root in a losing cause against Sri Lanka, but just two other England batsmen have scored half-centuries. Morgan himself has managed just 90 runs at an average of 22.50, but his biggest worry will be the ineffectiveness of his two pace spearheads James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Anderson’s two wickets so far have come at an unusually high average of 91, while Broad averages 92 for his two wickets. “We certainly are not taking a win for granted,” said Morgan of Monday’s game. “Bangladesh have come a long way in the last 10 years. “If we play well, I have every confidence we can win this game. The illusion of making it a bigger game than it is, is probably the wrong thing to do.” Bangladesh, meanwhile, have ensured that sharing points with co-hosts Australia in the rained-off match in Brisbane has not been wasted. Having beaten Afghanistan before losing to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh came up with what skipper Mashrafe Mortaza described as their “best” run chase when they overhauled Scotland’s 318 for eight with 11 balls to spare for the lost of just four wickets. It was the second-best winning chase in World Cup history following Ireland’s 329 to defeat England in a Bangalore thriller four years ago. Bangladesh will be without batsman Anamul Haque, who was ruled out for the rest of the tournament due to a dislocated shoulder and has been replaced by the experienced Imrul Kayes. Mortaza said the Tigers, who have made it past the first round just once in the World Cup, are keyed up for Monday’s day/night game. “That win over Scotland has given us a lot of confidence,” he said. “The whole team is very excited about this England game.” AFP
World Cup, Eng vs Bang as it happened: Bangladesh knock England out
England lost to Bangladesh by two wickets in the last World Cup in 2011 – a match in which Morgan made 63 – but still survived the shock defeat to qualify for the quarter-finals.
)
That is it from us. Fantastic win for Bangladesh. One they will remember for years to come. They held their nerve at crucial moments while England did not.
Who knows where England go from here. They are a terrible one-day side and despite the results, don’t think they need to change anything. If Ireland makes the quarter-finals, there will be more egg on the ICC’s face, not to mention the ECB’s.
Mashrafe Mortaza: Feel proud. Special thanks to the team management and coaching staff and obviously the boys. I think we had to bowl well. Our start wasn’t that good but in the middle we bowled well and put the pressure on England
Mahmudullah showed his guts and Mushfiqur was brilliant. I have to say Rubel’s name. He got four wickets, very crucial wickets.
I think Tamim feels really bad (for the drop) but it happens in cricket. Any of the day, winning side so we are very happy. It is amazing. This win is for all Bangladesh. The peop[le who work hard every day but still support us day in and day out, this is for you guys.
Eoin Morgan: Pretty poor to be knocked out of a World Cup this early. At half-tome, the guys bowled well and the Bangladeshi guys batted well but with the short boundaries, well within our reach. We bowled reasonably well. I am gutted at the moment. We struggled to find a way since we arrived here. The changes we made at the start of the tournament were necessary. The two we made today were again necessary.
I don’t think [England is too obsessed with stats and lack flair]. We did not perform as a unit. Since we landed in Australia, we tried to address that but we have not been able to.
I have no idea what happens from here. Ultimately, we have not performed.
Mahmudullah is the Player of the Match for his century.
Mahmudullah: Really impressed by the attitude of our boys. All the boys chipped in and everything went well. Mushy and I had a good partnership. Thinking we were 15 to 20 runs short. If we get early wickets, then we are in. Back home it is really special. Thanks to all the fans for supporting us here. Tamim one of the best fielders in our team. Catch can be dropped in match. The way we came back especially the last two balls, very special.
OUT! Yorked! Hossain shatters Anderson’s stumps. Bangladesh have won by 15 runs. The players all go nuts. Nobody in the England dugout moves. Their worst nightmare has just becom reality.
M Anderson b Rubel Hossain 0 (2b 0x4 0x6)
Over 48.1: England 260/9 (Woakes 42)
OUT! Quick and fast from Hossain. It pitches on a good length and moves just enough off the seam to beat Broad’s defensive prod and knock back offstump.
SCJ Broad b Rubel Hossain 9 (6b 0x4 1×6)
Over 48: England 260/8 (Woakes 42, Broad 9)
Woakes gets a single to a good yorker from Taksin. The bowler then decided to bounce Broad, who swatted him over midwicket for SIX! The next ball is down legside and Broad gets two to fine leg. Feeling the pressure, Taksin bowls a chest high full toss that Broad tickles to third man that is called a no-ball.
DROPPED! Woakes slogs the ball straight to long-on but Tamim drops a dolly. Had all the time in the world to settle under it but let it burst through his fingers. Bangladesh fielders drop to the floor in despair. Tamim may have cost them a spot in the World Cup quarters.
Excellent over for England. Fifteen from it. They need just 16 from the last two overs now.
Over 47: England 245/8 (Woakes 38, Broad 1)
Woakes keeps his cool and sweeps Shakib to square leg for four. Shakib then keeps his cool and keeps the batsmen down to three runs from the last five balls of the over.
31 needed from 3 overs now.
OUT! Chris Jordan has been run-out but this is a very contentious decision. His bat was well in the crease but replays suggested it may have bounced up and been in the air when the bails came off. One side showed the bat may be above the ground. The other suggested it may be down. The doubt does not go in favour of the batsman. Big, big blow for England.
England 238 for 8 after 46 overs
Over 45.5: England 238/7 (Woakes 32)
Taksin gets another over. Woakes gets two from a low full toss and then carves another slower ball over extra-cover to the boundary. A yorker is then dug out for a single before Buttler drives another yorker down the ground for two.
OUT! Taksin has done it! Buttler pokes at one outside off, presumably because third man is up, and nicks a simple catch to the keeper. Taksin is overjoyed.
JC Buttler c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Taskin Ahmed 65 (52b 6×4 1×6)
Buttler has his hands on his head in the dugout. He is dismayed.
Over 45: England 229/6 (Buttler 63, Woakes 25)
Mortaza forced to bring Shakib back. Woakes slaps him through cover for a couple. Then a dot, then a quick single to midwicket. Buttler can’t get the inside-out drive through the offside and then takes a single to midwicket. Woakes caps the over with another single to long-on. Just five from the over.
47 needed from 30 balls.
Over 44: England 224/6 (Buttler 62, Woakes 21)
Hossain comes back. Buttler lofts the first ball over mid-on but it plugs on landing and he only gets two. A dot ball and two singles follow. Hossain works on bowling the ball full and Buttler is a touch lucky to slice him past short third man to the boundary. The second time is intentional as he smacks the ball between point and short third man. Thirteen from the over.
Buttler could well win it for England here. Now 52 needed from 36. That’s less than 9 an over.
Over 43: England 211/6 (Buttler 53, Woakes 17)
Rahman replaced Sunny. Buttler hammered him thorough midwicket to bring up his FIFTY. He has kept a very cool head, as Buttler. The remaining five balls yield four singles. England need 65 from 42 balls.
Over 42: England 203/6 (Buttler 47, Woakes 15)
Taksin, who is only 19, gets a taste of big time pressure. Started with a low full toss that Buttler drove to long-off and Woakes does well to come back for the second. Buttler has an airy waft outside off to the second ball, which is just back of a length. Buttler then moves across his stumps and scoops the ball over the stumps for four.
Taksin adjusts his field by moving fine-leg back. Would be a better option to encourage Buttler to play that kind of stroke again rather than try and defend it. A single down to long-off before Woakes thrashes Taksin through the covers to bring up England’s 200. Eleven from this over too.
Over 41: England 192/6 (Buttler 40, Woakes 11)
Sunny returns. Buttler chips down the track and nonchalantly goes inside-out over cover for SIX! Played that with the turn. The batsmen then scamper two after Buttler drives down the ground. Three singles followed. Eleven from the over.
Over 40: England 181/6 (Buttler 30, Woakes 10)
Another good over from Shakib. Just five runs from it. He has bowled two overs in the PP for just 10 runs.
Mortaza beat Woakes with another outwsinger first up. No footwork from Woakes. England’s batsmen are feeling the pressure. Just three singles from the over. Mortaza’s spell in the PP reads 3-0-10-1, which is superb. A captain’s spell. His complete figures are 10-0-48-2.
95 to get from the last 10 overs.
Over 38: England 173/6 (Buttler 26, Woakes 6)
Shakib continued to bowl in the PowerPlay. A couple of singles came from the first two balls, three dots followed, before Woakes cut the last ball behind point for three more runs.
Buttler drove the ball firmly back at Mortaza and caught him a nice little blow on the side of the knee. That would have stung. Just four from the over though. England need 103 runs from 12 overs with four wickets in hand. That’s a required-rate of 8.58.
Over 35.4: England 163/6 (Buttler 21)
England can’t do it singles in this game but they are currently doing it in singles. Six singles, all of them through the offside, come from Shakib’s sixth over.
The mandatory PowerPlay kicked in after that.
Mortaza brought himself back.
OUT! Full delivery that just moves away off the seam. Root goes for the straight drive and gets a thin nick through to the keeper. Bangladesh on fire here.
JE Root c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mashrafe Mortaza 29 (47b 2×4 0x6)
Bangladesh had appealed for caught behind two deliveries earlier with Buttler on strike but were turned down. Not this time.
Over 34: England 155/5 (Root 25, Buttler 18)
Shakib bowls a tight 33rd over, giving away just three singles. Sunny follows it up with a tidy over of his own, giving away five singles. England have a tricky balance to maintain between caution and action. They can’t let the run-rate get too high because they don’t have wickets in hand to risk a late thrash. How they play the spinners will be key.
Over 32: England 146/5 (Root 22, Buttler 12)
England are not out of it yet but they have made this task much harder than it needed to be. Buttler can change things quickly, though, as he shows when he goes inside-out over cover off Taksin and then merely leans into another delivery outside off with the same result – four runs.
OUT! Taylor doesn’t last long. He chops a short ball outside off straight to first slip. Taksin takes off in the airplane celebration as the crowd roars. England self destructing here.
JWA Taylor c Imrul Kayes b Taskin Ahmed 1 (4b 0x4 0x6)
After 29.4 overs, England are 132/5. Root is on 20 and Jos Butler is the new batsman.
OUT! Another short ball does the trick. The England captain is out for a duck! Morgan went for the pull and Shakib took a good running catch on the boundary.
EJG Morgan c Shakib Al Hasan b Rubel Hossain 0 (3b 0x4 0x6)
This will send some jitters through the England dressing room. The trap was set and Morgan fell into it. England now 121/4 after 26.4 overs
OUT! Extra bounce does for Bell. Back of a length and Bell went for the cut. The ball was too close to him and climbed sharply to take the outside edge. That might send a few jitters through England
IR Bell c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Rubel Hossain 63 (82b 7×4 0x6)
England 121/3 after 26.1 overs
Over 25: England 118/2 (Bell 60, Root 10)
Bell appears determined to see England over the finish line today. The pitch isn’t offering Bangladesh’s bowlers anything at all and they have looked ordinary as a result. They haven’t bowled badly but there has been nothing to unsettle the batsmen.