In the end, Bangladesh could not lay a glove on England but the hosts were dealt a gut punch all the same. Specifically, a shot to the intercostal muscles of Chris Woakes.
Up until the summer of 2014, the unassuming Woakes was known as a county all-rounder of no small repute but unable to capitalise on the chances handed to him at international level.
That narrative is a familiar one in England – a country which saw Mark Ramprakash score 114 first-class centuries yet just two in Tests – but the bashful boy would eventually come good.
It is Ben Stokes, rather than Woakes that is viewed as the Botham-esque game-changer for England but the flame-haired firebrand certainly pales in comparison with the ball. Since being recalled for the series against India two years ago, Woakes has taken the most four or five-wicket hauls in ODIs (nine) than anyone else. The closest challengers languish behind on six.
The only two overs he could muster in this year’s Champions Trophy will have elicited table-banging frustration within the England camp. His first was a maiden, his second went for four, and he was notable in his absence thereafter.
England's Chris Woakes to miss the rest of the #CT17
— ICC Media (@ICCMediaComms) June 2, 2017
Jake Ball leaked 31 runs from his last three overs and it is reasonable to suggest that Woakes, who honed his death bowling in a highly successful IPL stint with Kolkata Knight Riders, would not have let Bangladesh’s total reach 300.
Hence, while Eoin Morgan was rightfully all smiles in his post-match interview, the England skipper will have been crossing all of his digits in the hope that Woakes could carry on. The reality is that without him England should be downgraded from the competition’s only exceptional team into a group of very good ones.
England’s seam bowling unit was hardly in the rudest of health to begin with. Stokes, nursing a knee niggle, only bowled seven overs of his allocation while history suggests Mark Wood’s ankle cannot be relied upon.
Liam Plunkett bowled beautifully but Ball must step up; he only came into the team for Adil Rashid to start with because of fitness concerns over the pace bowlers.
Indeed while England have sharpened their minds, bodies remain brittle. The sight of Joe Root hobbling between the wickets on his way to a magnificent 133 not out rather summed their predicament up. England can win this as long as their key men get through the tournament unscathed, and one is already down.
Root dismissed the pain in his calf as cramp but there is no getting away from the travails of another English batsman at the top of the order.
Great way to start #CT17. Lots of confidence in that dressing room. Thanks for the support! pic.twitter.com/mkb316kYwS
— Joe Root (@root66) June 1, 2017
Though there is no visible injury, Jason Roy is carrying himself like a wounded man. He showed an almost desperate need to feel bat on ball during his eight painful deliveries on Thursday and the shot that saw him caught, an ill-judged scoop, is not part of his repertoire when he is at his power-hitting best.
The last thing that England need, however, is upheaval. Jonny Bairstow may have opened in one-day cricket for Yorkshire but to throw him into the heat of the Champions Trophy is another prospect entirely.
A feasible option would be for Root to open, but you must keep your best and most in-form player exactly where he is – the Yorkshireman has suffered from chopping and changing in the past.
Roy, at his best, is a unique specimen. He has scored nearly 1,000 runs since the start of 2016 in ODIs at a strike-rate of more than a run a ball. There is a fine player still in there, somewhere, and the potential payoff is huge.
In this competition at least, England should stick with the team that has returned them to prominence. It is just a shame that injury has already forced their hand.
