Since their humbling defeat by New Zealand last Thursday England have relocated to Dharamshala, on the slopes of the Lesser Himalayas, knowing a second successive defeat at the start of their World Cup campaign would leave them with a mountain to climb. But instead of nerves, the situation as they prepare to face Bangladesh on Tuesday has, according to Liam Livingstone, made the players “doubly excited”.
It is not that the altitude – at 1,457m above sea level the HPCA Stadium is the highest international cricket ground in India and one of the highest in the world, as well as being among the most picturesque – has made the players giddy. If anything, that has added to their sense of anticipation.
