Published: Sep 15, 2015, 02:03 AM (IST)
Edited: Sep 15, 2015, 02:03 AM (IST)
Mitchell Marsh credited Australia‘s tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a source of inspiration for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh, the pitches of which are expected to be spin-friendly. Marsh was part of the Australian team that whitewashed the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series before suffering a spectacular reversal in the two-Test series. The tour saw spinners dominate from both sides, with Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah taking 26 wickets together in the Tests to decimate the Australians. Marsh missed out on the Twenty20 International (T20I) and the ODI series due to a hamstring injury, before returning to play in the Test series.
“Similar conditions [to UAE] I guess. I learnt a lot from that tour probably just playing spin, and we know it’s going to play a massive part over there.
“So that’s what I am going to be working on for the next few weeks, to acclimatise myself [to Bangladeshi conditions] as much as I can,” the Australian all-rounder said in a video interview on cricket.com.au‘s official YouTube channel.
Marsh was presented with the ‘Man of the Series’ award at the end of the recent five-match ODI series against England, in which Australia thrashed the hosts by eight wickets in the final to win the series 3-2. Marsh starred in that match with figures of 4 for 27, which played an instrumental role along with John Hastings’s 3 for 21 in bowling England out for 138. Marsh, however, could not hide his disappointment of not winning the Ashes 2015, in which his side surrendered the urn with a humiliating innings and 78-run defeat.
“It’s really been an interesting few months in here. Obviously losing the Ashes was extremely hard, being my first Ashes,” added Marsh.
