The defending champions England faced an unexpected setback in their opening match of the ODI World Cup 2023, suffering a defeat against New Zealand. However, they quickly bounced back in their second match against Bangladesh, securing a victory. England’s next challenge is against Afghanistan on October 15 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by a crucial match against India on October 29 in Lucknow.
Looking ahead to the match against India, England’s pace bowler Chris Woakes acknowledged the difficulty of playing in India’s home conditions. “It’s incredibly tough to win in India. Teams from the subcontinent are more comfortable with the conditions, making it challenging for us to outperform them. But we have a talented squad capable of competing. We’ve been a target as a white-ball team globally for a while,” Woakes stated, as reported by SkySports.
In the first World Cup match against New Zealand, Woakes proved expensive, conceding 45 runs in 6 overs without taking any wickets. However, he made a strong comeback in the second match against Bangladesh, picking up 2 wickets while giving away 49 runs in 8 overs. Reflecting on his performance, Woakes expressed his desire to improve, emphasizing the importance of not peaking too early in long tournaments. “I wish I had bowled better, but these competitions are lengthy, and peaking at the right time is crucial. I’ve paced myself well in previous tournaments, which should benefit me. I’ll be working hard in practice to ensure I’m at my best,” he stated.
