Dawid Malan's Remarkable Century Propels England to a Commanding 137-Run Victory Over Bangladesh

DHARAMSHALA: In a captivating one-off World Cup match staged in Dharamshala on Tuesday, England emerged victorious over Bangladesh by a substantial margin of 137 runs, largely attributed to a spectacular century delivered by opener Dawid Malan and an impressive display of bowling skills led by Reece Topley.

During their turn at bat, England, eager to bounce back after a previous defeat against New Zealand, put up a formidable score of 364 runs for the loss of nine wickets. This scoring feat was anchored by an outstanding innings of 140 runs off 107 balls by Dawid Malan. Bangladesh was then restricted to 227 runs within 48.2 overs.

Malan's exceptional performance wasn't a solitary effort, as he forged a solid foundation for the team's imposing score alongside opener Jonny Bairstow (52) and former captain Joe Root (82). In response, Bangladesh struggled to counter the prowess of England's bowlers, with Mehidy Hasan taking four wickets for 71 runs and Shoriful Islam claiming three wickets for 75 runs.

In pursuit of a formidable target, only Liton Das (76) and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim (51) managed to put up a resistance against England's skilled bowlers. Reece Topley shone for England, securing four wickets for 43 runs, while Chris Woakes contributed with two wickets. Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone, and Sam Curran each achieved one success.

Bangladesh faced a challenging start in their batting innings. Topley swiftly dismissed Tanzid Hasan (one) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (0) in consecutive balls during his first over. The woes continued for Bangladesh as Topley bowled their captain Shakib Al Hasan (one) in his third over. The fall of wickets persisted, with Mehidy Hasan (eight) opening the account with a boundary off Chris Woakes but getting dismissed soon after. Amidst the struggle, opener Liton Das displayed a fearless approach, hitting a series of boundaries against Woakes. However, England's Woakes ended his innings, catching him behind the wicket in the 21st over, shattering Bangladesh's hopes.

The collapse of the 72-run fifth-wicket partnership between Liton and Mushfiqur further dimmed Bangladesh's chances, ultimately leading to a challenging struggle extended until the 49th over.