Bangladesh series will be challenging: Australia captain

Australia have arrived in Bangladesh for an ODI series after more than a decade. Bangladesh have become stronger compared to the past, and Australia captain Josh Inglis said on Monday, June 8, the eve of the first match, that the upcoming series will be more challenging.

"Playing against Bangladesh is always challenging. They have a lot of all-rounders. They are definitely a better team at home. We have confidence in ourselves. Hopefully, it will be a good series," Inglis said at a press conference.

On the pitches, he said, "I saw the wickets for the New Zealand series had grass. The new ball worked well. It was a bit seam-friendly. We are keeping that in mind and are prepared. We have had a light look at the wicket and will have a better look today."

On pacer Nathan Ellis, Inglis said, "Nathan is a very important player for us. He has taken a lot of responsibility over the last few years. He has done well in the role we have given him. He has good variety in his bowling and is a very skillful bowler. Hopefully, he will play his role in this series."

"This series is going to be very exciting. Australia and Bangladesh don't face each other very often. Our boys are very excited. Everyone is eager to play in these conditions," he added.

The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium wicket in Mirpur, which has long been a subject of debate for its spin-friendly nature, is set to offer a different challenge for the upcoming Australia series. The Bangladesh team is considering preparing a pace-friendly wicket, moving away from the traditional slow turners that visiting teams have often criticised.

Captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz addressed the question of playing four pacers on the eve of the first ODI.

"The mindset has been that Mirpur means a spinning wicket, but that's not necessarily the case. I believe we can produce good wickets here," Miraz said.

"Over the last two or three series, I think the wicket has been quite good. We will try to play on good wickets. If we can win matches on good wickets, with bowlers bowling well and batsmen scoring runs, our confidence will grow. With tournaments ahead, gaining confidence by playing on good wickets before those tournaments will be very beneficial for our team," he added.