‘We can take a lot out of this tour’
The Daily Star (DS): You must have been disappointed by the result of the series, but you must also be happy about your performances with the bat.
Mitchell Marsh (MM): It was a tough tour for us. All credit to Bangladesh, who made the most of the conditions. I was reasonably happy with how I played in the West Indies but certainly felt I could have done more in the Bangladesh series. They were conditions we generally aren't used to be but we all could have performed better with the bat.
DS: How difficult was it to adjust to the surface in Dhaka? Did you take any different preparations to prepare for something like this ahead of the series?
MM: It was very different to any other condition I have experienced. The positive aspect was that it was a great learning curve for our players, particularly the new players. We can take a lot out of the tour regardless of the results.
DS: What are your observations about Mustafizur Rahman's bowling in the series?
MM: He seems to have found some of his early form from before the shoulder injury. He is an extremely difficult bowler to face at the best of times with his variation and the way he disguises some of his deliveries. He bowled exceptionally well and we applaud him for a great series.
DS: You batted mostly at number six and seven in your T20I career, but have averaged over 40 since being promoted to number three, including four fifties in 10 games. Are you looking forward to being a top order batsman in this format for Australia?
MM: I have enjoyed it, very much. But as I have said before, I played in that position largely because of the missing players and am happy to bat wherever I am asked. If that is staying at the top or in the middle order, I am fine with either as long as I am playing for Australia.
DS: What sort of changes did you have to make to your mindset after changing your batting position? It's quite different batting at the top compared to the role of a finisher.
MM: Yes, it is. At three, I think you have to play to the state of the game. You could be in during the Powerplay or you could be coming in after a great start. In the middle, you are often looking to consolidate or finish.
DS: Are you willing to become a proper all-rounder, who will bowl four overs along with batting, or do you want to focus more on batting in the coming days?
MM: I am willing to do whatever is best for the team. If it means I bowl four overs, I am more than confident of filling that role as well as batting in the middle or top order. It really depends on who we have in the team, the conditions and the state of the game.
DS: How did you find the aggressive approach and the improvements from Bangladesh this time around?
MM: Full credit to them for making the most of the conditions. They probably played smarter than us in some ways as we are used to the ball coming onto the bat, fast outfields and lots of boundaries. It was almost the opposite in Bangladesh. They did really well taking the pace off the ball and using the big outfield with great running between the wickets. Again, it was a good lesson for us when we come into those types of conditions again.
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