The first game of the ICC Champions Trophy is going to kickstart on June 1, as England lock horns with Bangladesh.
While the format of the Champions Trophy meant that Bangladesh missed out on spots in the 2009 and 2013 editions, they made sure they didn’t face similar disappointment by ensuring their place in the 2017 edition on the back of impressive ODI performances over the last two years.
On the other hand, in 42 years of trying, England have never won a major global one-day international trophy but hopes are high they can finally put an end to that damning statistic as the host nation of next month’s Champions Trophy.
England toured Bangladesh in October 2016 to play three ODIs, two Test Matches and three tour matches. England won the ODI series 2–1. The Test series finished 1–1 with Bangladesh recording their first ever Test win against England when they won the second Test by 108 runs.
So let us look at five players battles to watch out for in the first match:
1. Tamim Iqbal vs Liam Plunkett: Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal produced a batting masterclass on Saturday to demoralise Pakistan in their ICC Champions Trophy 2017 warm-up match at Birmingham. Batting first, Bangla Tigers lost Soumya Sarkar early, in the seventh over. But the arrival of Imrul Kayes changed the course of the match, as Bangladesh produced a 142-run stand for the second wicket, with Iqbal featuring prominently. Iqbal scored a brilliant 102 off 93 balls with the help of nine fours and four sixes to power Bangladesh to 341/9. Iqbal looks confident with the bat. For the first six years after making his One-day International debut for England, Liam Plunkett only made it to the side through the revolving door, struggling to establish himself. A genuine quick bowler who can contribute with the bat when he emerged, Plunkett has reinvented himself since returning to the fold in 2015, and finally feels confident about his place in the England ODI set-up. Plunkett who took 32 wickets in 18 matches, at an average of 26.53 that comfortably supersedes his overall career average. it would be great to watch these players battle it out in the first game
2. Mushfiqur vs Chris Woakes:
Rahim, was the leading run-scorer in ODIs, amassing 213 runs in five matches, including two half-centuries in the home series. He has been great with the bat. He was the youngest player to play at Lord’s. His consistent performances saw him pip Mashud as the first choice wicket-keeper for the 2007 World Cup in West Indies.
To have a good time, England will have Chris Woakes in their side. He indeed is England’s star player. He was named Man of the Match after scoring 101 and taking 1 for 12 in England’s series-sealing victory at the Ageas Bowl on Saturday. Woakes, who took four wickets in England’s 72 run win at Headingley on Wednesday, missed the second ODI. The right-arm fast medium pace bowler can definitely strike great fight along with Mushfiqur.
3. Shakib-Al-Hassan vs Ben Stokes:
Allrounder Shakib Al Hasan is a vital cog in Bangladesh’s line-up. He has been a consistent performer for his country over the years. Shakib was ranked No. 1 among the all-rounders by the ICC thanks to his consistency.
He is one of the best all-rounders of the game. Shakib’s stint with Worcestershire made him even better. He took 35 wickets in a single season, including his best figures of 7/32 against Middlesex to help the County get promoted to Division 1 of the championship. Along the way, he was the leading wicket-taker and run-scorer when Bangladesh achieved a whitewash over New Zealand in 2010.
On the other hand, England boasts of Ben Stokes. Benjamin Andrew Stokes is an all-rounder who bowls right arm medium fast and is a left handed bat. Despite the World T20 setback, Stokes’ career has progressed in a serene fashion. Having missed out the majority of the home season with an injury, he returned for the sub-continental tour of Bangladesh and India. He had mixed returns with the bat, but shone with the ball, especially with his ability to get reverse swing.For all the 25-year-old’s power strokeplay — as exemplified in his blistering 79-ball 101 featuring 11 fours and three sixes during England’s two-run win in the second one-day international against South Africa at Southampton on Saturday — Stokes’s batting is based on a sound straight drive.
His aggressive approach is one that has served him well in all formats, as he showed with a blistering Test-match 258 from 198 balls against South Africa at Cape Town last year.On his day, and in the right conditions, he can also be an effective right-arm swing bowler.
4. Taskin Ahmed vs Alex Hales:
Currently recognised as their quickest bowler, Taskin is one of the sheer talents. Ahmed has been clocked at 145 km/h. Ahmed’s ability to bowl with a good burst of pace helped him to get selected in Bangladesh’s World Cup squad.
On the other side, Alex Hales has emerged as an aggressive and clever top-order batsman. The voice for the inclusion of Hales in the ODI side gathered momentum after the opener had some stellar performances in the T20 format. The time eventually came in the home series against India, where he made his debut in Cardiff. So these two must be the player battle to watch out for.
5. Mustafizur Rahman vs Joe Root:
With a fiery new-ball bowler named Mustafizur leading the young guns and all-rounder Mushfiqur Rahim the old guard, Bangladesh are aiming to leave their mark on the Champions Trophy. Mustafizur “Fizz” Rahman has emerged as one of the best young bowlers to come out of Asia in recent years. He blitzed through four Irish wickets in an eight-wicket win in a warm-up International last week to highlight his potential.
Joe Root is a star of England. Root is now crowned as one of the best four young batsmen in the world – alongside the captains of Australia, New Zealand and India. Why not? His sheer batting talent and runs remain important for his team.
Just over two years since a defeat by Bangladesh in Adelaide sealed their embarrassing first-round exit from the 2015 World Cup, England faces the Tigers in the Champions Trophy opener at The Oval on Thursday with genuine optimism they can at last win a first major one-day international tournament.