England tour of Bangladesh

BAN vs ENG, 1st T20I

Preview 

Although Bangladesh's unbeaten run of ODI series at home has been broken, their victory in the third one-dayer has given them a boost of confidence as they head into the T20I leg. Despite being inconsequential, the win at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram has made the team more optimistic about continuing their dominance in the shorter format.

One of the most significant aspects of Bangladesh's victory was the return to form of Shakib Al Hasan. After underperforming in the first two games, the veteran all-rounder showcased his skills with both bat and ball. However, this also highlights the over-dependence of the team on Shakib, which could be a cause of concern for England, who will be aiming to win the series.

Bangladesh still has questions over the form of left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who is crucial to their success in T20Is. While he has been struggling to hit top form in recent weeks, England's batsmen have yet to fully adapt to the slow tracks in Bangladesh. Despite individual strong performances from Dawid Malan, Alex Hales, and Jos Buttler in the ODI series, England's batting unit is yet to perform as a cohesive team on this tour.

Match Details

Match: BAN vs ENG, 1st T20I, England tour of Bangladesh, 2023

Date: Thursday, March 09, 2023

Time: 2:30 PM

Venue: Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram

Pitch and Weather Report

The series opener is anticipated to favour the spin bowlers, as the pitch conditions are conducive to their style of play. Additionally, since the game will commence early, there is minimal likelihood of dew affecting the playing surface. Batsmen who can acclimate themselves to the slow nature of the wicket will have a better chance of scoring runs, but it may take some time for them to get going.

The weather forecast indicates that it won't rain anytime soon, and the temperature will hover around 31 degrees Celsius. The humidity level is expected to be in the 40s.

Squads

BAN: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Nurul Hasan (wk), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed , Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Rony Talukdar, Towhid Hridoy, Tanvir Islam, Rejaur Rahman Raja

ENG: Jos Buttler (c & wk), Philip Salt, Dawid Malan, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley, Rehan Ahmed, Chris Jordan

Probable Playing XIs

BAN: Litton Das, Najmul Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mehidy Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud

ENG: Jos Buttler (c/wk), Phil Salt, Dawid Malan, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley

Match Prediction

Without a doubt, England, the current world champions, are heavily favored to win the upcoming series opener. Bangladesh will need to put forth an exceptional performance to secure a victory.

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