Bangladesh have got a really good pace bowling attack: Labuschagne
Bangladesh’s Pace Bowling Attack Earns Praise from Labuschagne
Bangladesh’s fast bowlers have been in outstanding form for quite some time, and their performances continue to earn praise from around the cricket world.
Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana have been at the heart of Bangladesh’s success, and they have once again made a major impact in the ongoing ODI series against Australia.
Impressive Performances
Taskin has been particularly impressive with the new ball, consistently providing early breakthroughs. His strikes at the top have allowed the rest of the bowling unit to build pressure and take advantage of the situation.
Together, Bangladesh’s pace attack has developed into one of the team’s biggest strengths, playing a key role in a remarkable run of success at home.
Series Victories
After series victories against the West Indies, New Zealand and Pakistan, Bangladesh have now secured a fourth consecutive ODI series win on home soil by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead against Australia.
Ahead of the third ODI, Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne revealed that Australia had already been well aware of Bangladesh’s bowling quality before arriving for the series. “Coming into this series, there was certainly no underestimation of Bangladesh,” Labuschagne said.
“I think playing against a few of their players in the PSL, Shoriful, Rana, Fizz, you really got to see how good those players were. And then coming here, we were ready for the opportunity. It hasn’t gone to plan.”
Preparation for the Future
Labuschagne also pointed to Bangladesh’s recent Test series success against Pakistan as proof of the team’s growing strength. “I think also seeing how they played against Pakistan in their last Test series, Bangladesh has been very impressive and it’s certainly something we’re going to make sure we’re really prepared for when they come to Australia,” he added.
While many were surprised to see Bangladesh’s fast bowlers dominate on the green surface in Mirpur, Labuschagne said he was not. “I think they’ve got a really good pace bowling attack that can also get a lot out of a wicket with a bit of pace and bounce and seam,” he said.
“At times we’ve probably missed those opportunities in the field. I think game one, I dropped that catch at second slip, and you take that catch and you put a bit of pressure on, and that total can pretty much come down to anything from 200 if you get a few wickets in that power play. So I think the opportunities have been there for us and we just haven’t taken them in the field.”
The Australian batter also highlighted the difference between the Mirpur pitch and the conditions they experienced in Pakistan. “It is really nice to come to Bangladesh and see wickets with a bit of pace and bounce, where we just came from Lahore playing on pretty low, slow, spinning wickets.”
Bangladesh are scheduled to tour Australia for a Test series in August, and Labuschagne believes the current ODI series has already provided useful preparation for that challenge. “I think that’s a good opportunity for us and there’s always a silver lining. We’ve lost the series, we haven’t played our best cricket, but there’s lots of small wins that you can take from this tour.”
