Australia VS England: Dawid Malan finally makes a mark for England in ODI cricket

However, the one positive they can take from the game is the return to fitness and form of Dawid Malan, who missed their last two World Cup games with an injury. 

Here he picked up the Player of the Match award for his knock of 134 in the first innings. Dawid Malan generally shone on a day when England’s batting still looked like it was recalibrating to ODI mode. 

Yet it was what Dawid Malan said while picking up that individual award that made many sit up and take notice. 

“I think 50-over cricket is my strongest format, but it is quite tough to get into this team. Hopefully, if I can keep performing like this I can make my mark,” said Dawid Malan. 

His comments were eyebrow-raising, to say the least. After all, Dawid Malan has previously been the ICC’s top-ranked T20I batsman – and this happened not too long ago, either. 

There’s also the fact that he’s only ever played 10 ODIs, and, at 35, he’s not getting younger and is running out of time to make his mark. 

The fact remains, however, that he averages 64.71 in the fifty-over format and has also scored two fifties and two hundred in that time period. 

So the consistency is there – albeit in a tiny sample space. But why is that sample space so small? The answer to that is simple – England’s squad depth. 

Dawid Malan is best suited to playing either as an opener or in the middle order. And, in recent times, England have had plenty of problems in both those departments. 

Remember, even as far back as 2019, England could deal with freezing out Alex Hales because they had the likes of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow in fine form. 

And the middle order featured the likes of white-ball skipper Eoin Morgan and former Test captain Joe Root, both of whom played regularly in the ODI format. 

Joe Root’s white-ball record has always been the source of debate, but he could hold one end up very well, and that’s a vital role in an ODI side. 

As for Eoin Morgan, not only was he the skipper, but he also could play, depending on the situation. He could put on the brakes or accelerate with equal ease. 

Therefore, Dawid Malan often needed help to break into the squad in what he calls his preferred format. However, things are very different now. 

Joe Root is no longer part of the scheme of things as far as the white ball squads are concerned, and Eoin Morgan is retired. Therefore, at least one spot is open in the ODI playing XI. 

And that means there is no time like the present for Dawid Malan to shine in ODI cricket.