"We've got good balance, combination squad": Jos Buttler after win over Bangladesh
Oct 10, 2023
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 10 : After suffering an initial loss on the opening day of the tournament, the defending champions, England, made a strong comeback with a convincing victory. Captain Jos Buttler expressed confidence in the team's well-balanced and effective combinations.
Following a challenging encounter against New Zealand, England responded emphatically by securing a 137-run win against Bangladesh during the 2023 ICC World Cup in Dharamsala. The formidable target of 365 runs proved insurmountable for Bangladesh, especially after an impressive new-ball performance by Reece Topley, and they ultimately managed to score only 227 runs.
"Really good performance stuck to our guns. Really important for us after a bad performance earlier. The back end I think we should have scored a few more, we could do well with some partnerships at the back end," Buttler said in a post-match presentation.
Buttler heaped praise on hitters Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, and Joe Root for performing admirably against Bangladesh. Malan scored 140 runs against Bangladesh at the HPCA Stadium, while Root and Bairstow also slammed half-centuries.
"It was fantastic to see Dawid Malan stand up and get a big hundred after what happened first game. We are always looking for the perfect performance, and can't remember the number of times it actually works out. One of the challenges is going to be reading the conditions and pitch well, we have a fantastic, balanced squad - a good combination of swing and spin. Today was fantastic to see Reece Topley come in and perform that way," he added.
After conceding 364 in the first innings, the Bangladesh batting crumbled, barring some fighting knocks from Litton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim.
Reece Topley was the destroyer-in-chief with a fine 4/43 in his quota of overs.