DHAKA: Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz said on Monday that his team is eager to seize a rare opportunity against a depleted Australia in the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series starting Tuesday at Mirpur. However, stand-in Australia skipper Josh Inglis insisted his young squad is ready to bounce back after losing 2-1 to Pakistan earlier this month.
Mehidy Confident of Home Advantage
"This is a great challenge and a big opportunity -- we haven't played Australia for a long time," Mehidy said ahead of the first ODI. "Everyone is in good form... If we can perform at our best, we can get a result." Bangladesh have won only one of 22 ODIs against Australia, but Mehidy drew confidence from their recent successes: three consecutive series wins against West Indies, Pakistan, and New Zealand. He believes home conditions will play to their strengths. "Mirpur doesn't have to mean a bad wicket. If we can win on good wickets it builds confidence -- and that's important with the World Cup coming," he added.
Australia Without Key Players
Australia arrived without captain Mitchell Marsh and star batsman Travis Head, both of whom also missed the Pakistan series due to injury and personal leave, respectively. Leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha is also out with a hamstring injury. Inglis acknowledged the absences but stressed the importance of giving younger players experience. "I think it's really important that a few younger guys are getting some experience in these conditions," he said. "There's a World Cup on the horizon, so being able to look at different combinations before then is really important."
Inglis Ready for Any Conditions
Inglis, who played in the IPL this year, said Australia would assess the pitch before the toss. He noted that conditions could be more seam-friendly than expected based on Bangladesh's recent home series against New Zealand. "We'll do our homework, look at the games played here recently, and make a judgment. We're ready for anything," he said.
Rishad Hossain a Threat
Both captains highlighted Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain as a potential match-winner. Inglis, whose side includes several players familiar with Rishad through the Big Bash League, said Australia would prepare carefully. "He's a very good bowler -- we'll definitely be having some conversations about him," Inglis said.
Series Details
The three ODIs will be played on June 9, 11, and 14, followed by three T20s. Marsh will stay with the team to prepare for the T20 series. Teenage batsman Ollie Peake and all-rounder Matt Short, initially set to return home after Pakistan, will remain with the squad. Off-spinner Todd Murphy, with seven Test caps but no limited-overs experience for Australia, replaces Sangha. National selector Tony Dodemaide confirmed the changes: "Unfortunately, Tanveer Sangha sustained a hamstring injury... We were hopeful Mitch Marsh would be available for the Bangladesh ODI series however he is still returning to full fitness from an ankle injury. Travis was initially selected... but has subsequently been granted personal leave for both."
