NEW DELHI: Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman praised the England cricket team for their eight-wicket win against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup on Wednesday.
In his column for the Times of India, Laxman wrote, "For the second time in as many matches, England presented their title credentials in spectacular fashion, this time against a tricky opponent in Bangladesh. It appeared as if there would be a contest when Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat, but England pegged them back with three wickets in the Powerplay and the match was pretty much won and lost then and there."
Opening batsman Jason Roy smashed 61 off 38 balls as England romped to their victory target of 125 in 14.1 overs in the Super 12 clash in the two nations' first ever meeting in the format.
"England's exploits in white ball cricket aren't a recent development. Following their embarrassing first-round exit from the World Cup in 2015, they made a concerted effort to rejig their approach to limited-overs play, placing all their eggs in the attacking basket. A lot of credit must go to Eoin Morgan for allowing his players to express themselves and play fearlessly without the sword of the axe hanging over their heads. Given their all-out aggression, it is possible that from time to time, they might come across as reckless. But Morgan and England are comfortable with occasional meltdowns. England has identified batsmen who can fit the team culture and so have great depth and firepower, all of which has been on full view for the last six years," Laxman added.
Left-arm quick Tymal Mills took three wickets to combine with spinners Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone to restrict Bangladesh to 124/9. England, the world's number one-ranked T20 team, top Group 1 with two big wins after a six-wicket thrashing of holders West Indies in their tournament opener.
"It's their bowling, however, that has held centre stage at the T20 World Cup. Both against West Indies, the defending champions, and Bangladesh, the bowlers were exemplary right through the innings. Moeen Ali has been among the wickets in the first six overs in both games, and his spin twin Adil Rashid hasn't been too far behind. The leg-spinner is among the leading wicket-takers in T20 internationals in the last couple of years. He is somewhat underrated and unsung, but England know what he brings to the table. Wickets in the middle-overs are the best way of keeping the run rate down, and that's where Rashid's impact is immense. Against West Indies, he was practically unplayable, and he will have a say as the tournament moves towards its climax," Laxman concluded.
