I can play ODIs like T20s if you want me to: Dawid Malan

Dawid Malan is “hungry” and making every single opportunity count. The left-handed opener slammed 140 off 107 deliveries against Bangladesh in Dharamsala on Tuesday (October 10) and brought up his sixth ODI hundred in just 23 innings. No other batter in this format has scored more hundreds in these many innings.

Malan now has 1200 runs in 23 ODIs at an average of 63.16 and a strike rate of 98.44, studded with six tons and five fifties. This was an important game for England, who had lost to New Zealand in their opening game of the 2023 World Cup, and the defending champions bounced back in style.

“Just hungry, hungry to play and to do well, hungry to score runs and win games of cricket. I've wanted to be part of this team for so long. It's been impossible to break into with the players that have been so good. So, to get your opportunity and try and take it and, you know, enjoy it as long as it lasts, you know, is all that I try and do,” said Malan after England’s 137-run win.

Malan's place in the final World Cup squad was thought to be uncertain in the weeks leading up to the event, even though he was named in the provisional group in August. But he made sure of a spot on the plane with a stellar performance in an ODI series against New Zealand last month, ousting Jason Roy from his opening spot.

“I feel like every series I'm under pressure, so you know, for me to keep silencing people is all I can do. If I can score as many runs as I can and help contribute to wins, then hopefully, eventually people's opinions might change.”

Malan admitted England were outplayed by New Zealand in their first match in India and said one of their strengths was an ability to recover from adversity. “I think we were just totally outplayed in the last game. 

“If you dwell on something like that too much, I think you can start overthinking it. But this team has always bounced back and been more and more aggressive when we're under pressure. It's one of the traits that has been so successful for the team and the challenge to us was to keep being aggressive, even though we were under pressure.”

Malan was not the only one who had a great outing. The left-hander put on 151 runs for the second wicket with Joe Root, who himself scored 82 off 68 deliveries. “He's fantastic. He just never stops doing it, does he? He's just so consistent. He's got such a good method of doing it.

“Even today he came and he changed the gears at certain times. You know, he set up the partnership brilliantly. And when I wasn't hitting the ball as well for a little period, he took the initiative on and changed the momentum of the game as well. You can't replace someone as good as that.”

This game also proved that both Malan and Root, who are ‘anchors,’ can feature in the same XI. “There’s been a lot of strange narratives around over the last couple of years, but yeah, the majority of my cricket played for England has been T20 cricket and I've always said, I can play it like a T20 game if you want me to and just ask me to do what you need me to do and I'll do it.”