Taskin Ahmed defends Mirpur pitch after Australia ODI series win
What's the story
Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed has defended the pitch conditions in Mirpur, following his team's historic ODI series win over Australia. The pacer said that critics can no longer blame the pitches for their success. Bangladesh's victory is a major milestone, as it marks their first-ever ODI series win against Australia. Australia managed 187/8 in 42 overs with rain curtailing the show. In response, the hosts scored 195/5 in 35 overs (DLS Method) to seal the deal.
Pitch criticism
Pitch conditions have been a point of contention
Bangladesh's home victories against top teams have often been overshadowed by the slow and low pitches in Dhaka. Critics have regularly pointed to these pitch conditions while analyzing their wins over teams like Australia, New Zealand, and England. However, this time around, Bangladesh has defied that narrative with a sporting wicket for the ongoing ODI series against Australia.
Player's statement
'We're playing on a good wicket'
After the win, Taskin told reporters, "This time no one can say anything about the wicket either. We're playing on a good wicket. It's not a paddy field, okay? We're playing on a good wicket and beating a good team. So it's a great achievement," He further added that it feels really good to have achieved this feat against Australia. "Alhamdulillah, it's a great feeling. It feels really good," he added.
Match analysis
Visiting teams might think twice before preparing seaming wickets
In the match, Australia recovered from a poor start to post a competitive total. However, Bangladesh chased it down comfortably, which Taskin credited to the quality of the pitch. He said they broke Australia's partnership and felt great to do well against them. The pacer also suggested that visiting teams might think twice before preparing seaming wickets against Bangladesh in future due to their improving pace-bowling resources.
Improvement strategy
Bangladesh's recent improvement on global stage
Taskin credited Bangladesh's recent improvement to a conscious effort by players and the Bangladesh Cricket Board. They have been moving away from extreme surfaces and playing on pitches that better replicate global conditions. "As a team, we've been gradually growing over the last year or so. We're improving by playing on better wickets and in better conditions because our goal is only one thing: to perform well in major tournaments," he said.
Career highlight
One of the most memorable achievements of his career
Taskin also described the series triumph over Australia as one of the most memorable achievements of his career. "It's very memorable. Not just for me, but for everyone. Because this is the first time we've won a series against them," he said. The pacer emphasized that they won by playing good cricket on a good wicket, which is what makes it so satisfying.
Information
Taskin shines with match-winning three-fer
Taskin. bowled 8 overs and bagged 3/33. He clocked one maiden over. He removed opener Matthew Short (0) upfront before getting Xavier Bartlett and Adam Zampa's wickets late on. He has raced to 130 wickets from 90 ODIs at 29.13. He is now Bangladesh's 5th-highest wicket-taker in ODIs.