{"id":290416,"date":"2023-10-07T23:24:46","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T23:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/?p=290416"},"modified":"2023-10-07T23:24:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T23:24:46","slug":"livingstone-promises-england-will-double-down-on-attacking-intent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/%d1%81ricket\/livingstone-promises-england-will-double-down-on-attacking-intent\/","title":{"rendered":"Livingstone promises England will 'double down' on attacking intent"},"content":{"rendered":"
Liam Livingstone has promised England will \u2018double down\u2019 on their attacking instincts as they prepare for Tuesday\u2019s World Cup clash with Bangladesh \u2013 a game that has taken on unexpectedly important proportions after their opening-night mauling by New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Livingstone was one several England players to throw away a decent start against the New Zealanders, caught in the deep off Trent Boult for 20 as Jos Buttler\u2019s team faded to a below-par 282 for nine in Ahmedabad.<\/p>\n
But the change of scene to the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, where Livingstone thrashed nine sixes in a 48-ball 94 for Punjab Kings against Delhi Capitals in the IPL in May, has encouraged England to believe that their high-octane approach can pay off against a team they beat during a warm-up game on Monday.<\/p>\n
With the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium sitting nearly 5,000ft above sea level, batsmen tend to get good value for their aerial strokes. The pitch, meanwhile, has traditionally offered pace and bounce, which ought to suit England rather better than Bangladesh.<\/p>\n
\u2018One game doesn\u2019t define a tournament,\u2019 said Livingstone. \u2018The one thing this group does well when we\u2019ve lost a game is double down on our aggressive approach. We\u2019ve got a chance to do that on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Liam Livingstone has promised England will \u2018double down\u2019 on their attacking instincts as they prepare for Tuesday\u2019s World Cup clash with Bangladesh<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Livingstone was one several England players to throw away a decent start against the New Zealanders<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2018One game doesn\u2019t define a tournament,\u2019 said Livingstone ahead of the clash<\/p>\n
\u2018Because of the altitude, the ball just flies really well. You can feel it: it makes you more confident to take on the boundaries. They aren\u2019t that big here anyway and the altitude just makes it better with the power we\u2019ve got in our line-up.<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s the kind of place you can really set up the back end of the innings and score highly. Me, Sammy [Curran] and Jos [Buttler] have all played here, which may help us. I’ve got good memories here and hopefully I can repeat it.<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s a good pitch, with good pace and carry and it can nip around. It\u2019s probably as English a pitch as there is out here. It will probably suit us more than many grounds around the country and hopefully that can play in our favour.<\/p>\n
\u2018We want to get over what happened the other day and almost go twice as hard. We want to put on a really good show and get things kickstarted in this tournament.\u2019<\/p>\n
Conditions, though, may not accommodate England\u2019s skillset to the extent they might like. Dharamshala yesterday hosted its first match of the World Cup, and produced a slow pitch on which Bangladesh dismissed Afghanistan for 156 before completing a straightforward six-wicket win.<\/p>\n
England also noted an unusually sandy outfield, making the run-ups for the quicks less than smooth. As recently as last month, reports claimed the outfield had been hit by a fungal infestation, though these were played down by the HPCA. Either way, in the land of the Dalai Lama, Buttler\u2019s team may not be greeted by cricketing nirvana.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Livingstone opened up on the pitch as he believes it’s ‘as English a pitch as there is’<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
England may know more today about the likelihood of Ben Stokes playing on Tuesday after missing the New Zealand match with a hip injury<\/p>\n
They must also get their head round the fact that, by the end of the tournament\u2019s drawn-out, 45-match group stage, they will have travelled more than any other team, with a flight required after every game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bangladesh, by contrast, could treat yesterday\u2019s match as a handy reconnaissance mission ahead of Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s not ideal, but it\u2019s an excuse we\u2019re not going to use,\u2019 said Livingstone. \u2018There\u2019s going to be a lot of travelling, but that\u2019s fine \u2013 we knew that coming out here.\u00a0A lot of our boys have played in the IPL and that\u2019s just the same. You get used to it.\u2019<\/p>\n
England may know more today about the likelihood of Ben Stokes playing on Tuesday after missing the New Zealand match with a hip injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He continues to be monitored by medical staff, though he may have to wait until Sunday\u2019s game against Afghanistan in Delhi to take the field.<\/p>\n
His team-mates insist they can cope without him, but there is little doubt his return would lift spirits after the anticlimax in Ahmedabad.<\/p>\n