England look to better run-rate

New Delhi, Oct 14: Their campaign back on track after the humiliating loss in the opener, title holders England would look for a dominating all-round effort against a battered Afghanistan in the World Cup here on Sunday, with eyes firmly set on bettering their net run rate.
Defending champions England’s campaign started on a disappointing note as they lost by nine wickets against New Zealand in the tournament opener in Ahmedabad on October 5.
But the Jos Buttler-led side bounced back in style, humbling Bangladesh by 137 runs in Dharamsala on Tuesday.
Despite putting up a competitive 282 for nine in the opener at a batting-friendly Narendra Modi Stadium pitch, England bowlers were taken to the cleaners by Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra as New Zealand romped home in 36.2 overs.
But England made a superb comeback in their next match with both the batting and bowling departments clicking in unison.
It was not the batting unit which was the cause for concern for England against New Zealand, but their bowling, comprising Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, which looked ordinary when Conway and Ravindra batted.
But in their next match against Bangladesh, England showed their might with a clinical performance. (PTI)