DHAKA: Liton Das smashed a Twe­nty20 career-best 73 as Bangladesh stunned world champions England to sweep the series 3-0 and score a massive upset in front of an ecstatic home crowd.

In a major humiliation for England’s normally clinical white ball unit ahead of the 50-over World Cup in India later this year, Bangladesh won the third and final T20 in Dhaka by 16 runs.

The home side already won the first game by six wickets and the second by four wickets to give Bangladesh their first series victory over England in any format.

Set 159 to win after winning the toss and opting to bowl, England managed only 142 for the loss of six wickets despite Dawid Malan making 53 and captain Jos Buttler 40 as Taskin Ahmed took 2-26.

“We were really good in this series. I thought we fielded exceptionally,” said Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan. “That has been one of the major changes. If we look at the World Cup next year, we can build from here.”

England lost Phil Salt for a first-ball duck in debutant Tanvir Islam’s opening over before Malan and Buttler steadied the ship.

Malan then top-edged one to Litton behind the wickets to become Mustafizur Rahman’s 100th victim in the 14th over before Buttler was run out next ball attempting a risky single as the hosts heaped the pressure on England.

Moeen Ali and Ben Duckett also perished attempting big shots against Taskin and the visitors never recovered.

Earlier, opener Litton gave Bangladesh a positive start, putting on 55 runs with Rony Talukdar in the opening stand. England’s first breakthrough came when Adil Rashid dismissed Talukdar for 24 but Najmul Hossain and Liton added 84 runs

for the second wicket to keep up momentum.

England missed a chance to dismiss Liton soon after the right-hander completed his ninth T20I half-century when Duckett dropped him on 51 at deep mid-wicket off Jofra Archer.

Chris Jordan brought an end to Liton’s 57-ball innings, forcing him to give a catch to Phil Salt at deep midwicket.

England did well to contain the Bangladeshi batsmen after Liton’s dismissal with only one boundary struck in the death overs.

But Najmul, who survived on 40 after being given lbw off Jordan, ensured Bangladesh still had a decent score with his third 40-plus innings in the series. Jordan and Rashid finished with 1-21 and 1-23 for England respectively.

It is only the third time that England have been blanked in a bilateral T20 series featuring at least two matches.

“Really disappointed but congratulations to Bangladesh. They deserved their victory,” Buttler said. “We came back well and missed some opportunities in the field which is disappointing in this game. It was a good score to restrict them to but that didn’t happen.

“It’s really poor and I’m really disappointed in myself for not diving in the field, it cost us the game.”

SCOREBOARD

BANGLADESH:

Liton Das c Salt b Jordan 73

Rony Talukdar c & b Rashid 24

Najmul Hossain not out 47

Shakib Al Hasan not out 4

EXTRAS (LB-3, NB-1, W-6) 10

TOTAL (for two wickets, 20 overs) 158

DID NOT BAT: Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-55 (Talukdar), 2-139 (Liton)

BOWLING: Curran 4-0-28-0 (2w, 1nb), Woakes 1-0-12-0, Rashid 4-0-23-1 (3w), Archer 4-0-33-0 (1w), Ahmed 3-0-26-0, Ali 1-0-12-0, Jordan 3-0-21-1

ENGLAND:

D. Malan c Liton b Mustafizur 53

P. Salt st Liton b Tanvir 0

J. Buttler run out (Mehidy) 40

B. Duckett b Taskin 11

M. Ali c Mehidy b Taskin 9

S. Curran c Tanvir b Shakib 4

C. Woakes not out 13

C. Jordan not out 2

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-6, W-2) 10

TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 142

DID NOT BAT: A. Rashid, R. Ahmed, J. Archer

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-5 (Salt), 2-100 (Malan), 3-100 (Buttler), 4-119 (Ali), 5-123 (Duckett), 6-128 (Curran)

BOWLING: Tanvir 2-0-17-1, Taskin 4-0-26-2 (2w), Shakib 4-0-30-1, Hasan 4-0-29-0, Mustafizur 4-0-14-1, Mehidy 2-0-18-0

RESULT: Bangladesh won by 16 runs.

SERIES: Bangladesh won three-match series 3-0.Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2023