Mehidy confident of taking on Australia on green-tinged pitch
Bangladesh’s New Approach
Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz has expressed his confidence in taking on Australia on a green-tinged pitch in the first ODI at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. The pitch, which was revealed after the cover was removed, has a significant amount of grass, indicating a more sporting wicket.
A Change in Attitude
Mehidy stated that Bangladesh has moved away from using rough and slow pitches to aid spinners and is now looking to play on more sporting pitches to gain confidence. This change in attitude is a result of recent successes on good wickets in Dhaka, including the Test win against Pakistan last month.
“Everyone thinks that Mirpur only means a spinning wicket, a poor wicket, but that is not the case anymore,” Mehidy said. “I think we can produce good wickets in Mirpur as well. We have seen that in the last two or three series.”
Australia’s Preparation
Australia captain Josh Inglis said that they have been preparing for the series by studying Bangladesh’s previous ODI series against New Zealand. “I think we’ve had a look at the New Zealand series that was here,” Inglis said. “They looked like a bit more grass on the wicket. The new ball tended to do a bit and it was a bit more seam-friendly rather than spin-heavy. So we’ll take that into account, but we’re ready for anything.”
Key Players
Inglis also highlighted the importance of Nathan Ellis, who is expected to play a key role in the series. “Nathan is a really key player in our side. I think over the last few years, he’s really stood up and taken on whatever role we’ve given him. He’s obviously got all of his change-ups, but he’s incredibly skillful as well and can bowl in all three phases of the game. So I expect him to play a huge part in this series.”
Bangladesh’s Concerns
Bangladesh’s main concern is their batting, specifically their middle order, which has been inconsistent in ODIs over the past 12 months. Mehidy expressed his confidence in the team’s ability to overcome this challenge, citing the encouraging signs in the Dhaka Premier League.
“If you look at who played there in the past, many experienced players occupied those positions. Naturally, it takes some time to fill those spots. I think we have managed to reorganize ourselves. Those in the middle-order are top performers in the DPL. If you look at Towhid Hridoy, Mosaddek Hossain and Litton Das, they are all performing.”
Mosaddek’s Return
Mehidy also welcomed the return of Mosaddek Hossain to the ODI side after four years, stating that he could provide middle-order stability. “Mosaddek has been performing in domestic cricket for many years and has been playing very good cricket as well. He is also in shape. I think this is the right time for him to have been picked, and if he can do well in the role we have envisioned for him, it will be much better for the team.”
Mehidy also highlighted Mosaddek’s accurate offspin, which will complement the bowling attack. “If we have that kind of option, it will help the team a lot. When you play with five bowlers and also have an extra bowling option, you feel much more confident. He has bowled very well in domestic cricket and he is proven. If he can bowl in the right areas, it will be good, and as a captain I will also be very confident in using him if he bowls well.”
