Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne has praised Bangladesh’s strong pace attack, which he believes has contributed to their recent victories. He noted that the local conditions favor both batsmen and bowlers.
These remarks were made ahead of the final ODI in the series, where Bangladesh has already achieved a historic win over Australia.
Typically, Bangladesh’s home matches have faced criticism for the slow, spin-friendly pitches in Dhaka. However, in this series, they have excelled with their fast bowlers—Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, and Mustafizur Rahman—proving effective against the Australians.
Before the last ODI, Labuschagne recognized the skill of Bangladesh’s seamers and admitted that Australia missed several key chances in the first two matches.
“They’ve got a really good pace bowling attack that can exploit a wicket with some pace and bounce,” Labuschagne stated while talking to reporters.
He also noted that Australia missed important opportunities in the field, especially during the first game, which allowed Bangladesh to take control.
“In game one, I dropped a catch at second slip. If I take that catch, the pressure shifts, and the target could drop to around 200 with a few quick wickets in the power play. We had those chances but didn’t capitalize,” he said.
Labuschagne commended the pitch conditions in the series, noting they offered a fair contest. He dismissed claims that Australia underestimated Bangladesh.
“It’s great to come to Bangladesh and see wickets with pace and bounce, especially after playing on slower spinning wickets in Lahore,” he added.
Australia’s training session in Dhaka on Saturday was canceled due to heavy rain and thunderstorms. Labuschagne acknowledged the disappointment but emphasized the need for the team to be prepared for the match regardless of the weather.
“It’s always disappointing not to train, but that’s part of the game. We need to come to the game tomorrow focused and ready,” he said.
Bangladesh will aim for a clean sweep in the series, while Australia will strive to avoid a 3-0 defeat and finish the tour positively.