Bangladesh v England, 3rd ODI: Five Things We Learned

A professional England win sees them beat Bangladesh by four wickets to seal the ODI series 2-1. Here’s what we learned from Chittagong…

MAN OF THE SERIES - BEN STOKES (148 runs at 74)

Going into the winter, Ben Stokes, frustrated by injuries curtailing his 2016 summer, was looking forward to the winter and identified an aspect that was grating him: he felt he owed the ODI side some performances. Specifically, with the bat. Despite having the attributes to suite the shorter forms of the game, things had not quite worked out for Stokes. Perhaps England coach Trevor Bayliss hit the nail on the head in today’s post-match interview with Trevor Bayliss when he said that Stokes was playing “smarter” cricket. He started the series with his maiden ODI hundred and signed off with an unbeaten 47 to see England over the line. What was most impressive was how he responded to pressure: as Woakes struggled to get the ball away, he did not try and play the big shots to keep England ahead of the rate. Instead, he settled for singles before skipping down the pitch to the first ball of the 48^th over and tonking Shafiul Islam over his head for six, just as Bangladesh’s players and fans were beginning to sense an upset. Not bad for the tour’s vice-captain.

BILLINGS UP TOP

Nothing underlines England’s strength and depth quite like Sam Billings. He has already played in the IPL and PSL yet, before today, he had only played 12 matches for England, split evenly between ODIs and T20Is. He is, without question, the most talented cricket carrying drinks in international cricket right now. And to further emphasise how strong the batting stocks are, he had to make do with a spot opening the batting – something he has only done once (for Kent, back in 2013). He took to it with ease, moving the ball about well and then bringing out his patented sweeps, reverse sweeps and big hits to catch Bangladesh off guard after they were allowed to reach 277-6 from their 50 overs. Bayliss said the move was to develop power-hitters at the top of the order and Billings showed his dexterity with an accomplished maiden ODI fifty. Together, he and James Vince put on 63 – the highest opening stand of the series.

RASHID

Such is the life of the leg spinner that, in securing ODI best figures of four for 43, Rashid might have bowled one of his worst spells in the format. Long hops and full tosses – and those were three of the wickets! What he will be buoyed by are the deliveries that he sent down that turned big but weren’t wasted. He did not get sucked in to bowling magic delivery after magic delivery – he ensured batsmen had to play and even took some turn off to prey on their indecision. After deciding to sit out Yorkshire’s title decider against Middlesex, he needed this performance of note.

WORST FOR LAST

Having showed flashes off getting things right with the ball, England finished the series with their least convincing performance in the field. On a turning pitch which showed little by way of extra bounce, England over-dosed on short-pitched bowling and allowed Bangladesh to not only get away at the beginning with an opening stand of 80. Then, when the Bangladesh were there to be picked off, they allowed Mushfiqur Rahim and Mosaddek Hossain score freely to add 50 in the last five overs, leaving England needing the highest chase at the ground to seal the series. Of course, the emerged triumphant, but it need not have been so great.

THE FEAT

Before you bat away this series win with “it was only Bangladesh” consider these elements. England are the first side to beat Bangladesh at home since November 2014. In that time, Bangladesh have beaten India, Pakistan and South Africa, after knocking England out of the 2015 World Cup in Australia. This win also marks the first time England back won back-to-back ODI series in Asia since 1987.