Twitter Reactions: Jos Buttler’s fifty in vain as Bangladesh stun England

Bangladesh Cricket Team. (Photo Source: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Bangladesh shocked England with a six-wicket win in the first T20I at Chattogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on March 9. England managed to score only 156/6 while batting first despite a brilliant fifty from skipper Jos Buttler. Then Najmul Hossain Shanto’s 51 off 30 helped the hosts record their first-ever T20I win over England to take a crucial 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match series at home.

Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and elected to bowl first with young batter Towhid Hridoy making his debut and Rony Talukdar returning to T20Is after seven years. Openers Phil Salt and Buttler pulled off an 80-run partnership for the opening wicket to keep Three Lions on track for a big total. Nasum Ahmed gave Bangladesh a breakthrough with Salt’s wicket in the 10th over and that halted England’s momentum.

Shakib dismissed Dawid Malan at an individual score of four but Buttler smashed 67 off 42 to keep the runs flowing for England. Bangladesh bowlers balanced the game with Buttler and Ben Duckett’s wickets on back-to-back deliveries. Hasan Mahmud took two wickets as England managed to score just 156/6 in 20 overs.

Litton Das and the returning Talukdar gave Bangladesh a quick start with a 33-run stand for the opening wicket off just 21 balls. Archer took Litton’s wicket in the fifth over and in-from spinner Adil Rashid bowled out Talukdar in the fourth over to keep England in the driving seat.

But Najmul Shanto and debutant Hridoy pulled off a match-defining 65-run stand for the third wicket to change the momentum. Hridoy scored 24 off 17 before getting caught out on Moeen Ali’s delivery in the 12th over. But Shanto managed to register his third T20I fifty before getting bowled out on Mark Wood’s delivery in the 13th over.

Shakib smashed 34* off 24 and Afif Hossain contributed 15* as Bangladesh easily chased the target in 18 overs. Both teams will travel to Dhaka for the second T20I scheduled on March 12 in Mirpur’s Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Here is how Twitter reacted to Bangladesh’s triumph over England in the 1st T20I: