(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – At the World Cup in 2015, minnows Bangladesh pulled off one of cricket’s biggest upsets by sending home favoured England in the first round. England finally got ample revenge for that embarrassing loss as it opened the Champions Trophy tournament on a winning note at the Oval by eight wickets on Thursday.
Eoin Morgan’s England sent out a clear message that it is serious about winning its first-ever major 50-over tournament after it compiled 306 for two in replay to Bangladesh’s 305 for six. Joe Root carried his bat for 133 and Morgan was unbeaten on 75. But the victory came with a heavy loss as Root hobbled in the latter part of his innings with a calf injury and star fast bowler Chris Woakes left the field after bowling a mere two overs with a side strain that will likely sideline him from the rest of the tournament. Root is expected to recover in time for the encounter against New Zealand on Thursday.
Root was the hero of England’s victory as this was his highest innings in one-day internationals and the home team’s total was also the highest by a team batting second to win a Champions Trophy match, topping Sri Lanka’s 297 for three against England four years ago.
Chasing a huge score England lost Jason Roy early but Root and Alex Hales, who was unlucky to fall five runs short of his century, put on a second-wicket stand of 159 to calm any fears of an upset. Earlier opener Tamim Iqbal was the star for the visitors with a brilliant 128 and with Mushfiqur Rahim (79) shared a second-wicket partnership of 166.
Courtesy: Toronto Sun
