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Pitches like the one in Dhaka maximise Bangladesh’s strengths and enable them to push for WTC points, but what does it do to their fast bowlers?

Mohammad Isam06-Dec-2023After the first day’s play in Dhaka, where spinners took 13 of the 15 wickets that fell, a familiar question hangs in the air: how much home advantage is too much home advantage?The Shere Bangla National Stadium is the home of Bangladesh cricket for a reason. It houses the cricket board, and it is also the venue the senior team banks on for big wins. It is at this stadium that Bangladesh built their reputation of being a highly competitive team, but it is also, perhaps, one reason for Bangladesh not being quite as good when they play on flatter surfaces anywhere else in the world.Related

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The debate rages on: are Bangladesh just maximizing their strengths? The question, though, could be worded differently: do Bangladesh feel that their spinners are their only strength? They may have reason to feel this at present, given that their two best fast bowlers are out with long-term injuries, and also because their batters have endured a difficult year, particularly at the World Cup.At that very World Cup, though, a number of Bangladesh’s players spoke about the need for preparing truer pitches for home games. Some of the difficulties Bangladesh faced in India stemmed from their inability to adjust to good batting pitches. A team that usually play ODIs that produce totals in the 240-260 range can’t really be expected to thrive on pitches where 300-plus totals are par.What Bangladesh did in Dhaka was something of a reversion. Having beaten New Zealand comprehensively on a decent though slow batting surface in Sylhet, they went back to the Dhaka norm: a square turner. Head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe had been dropping hints that this could happen even during the build-up to the series, stressing on Bangladesh’s need for home wins in this World Test Championship cycle. It was a strong direction of the direction they want to take in Test cricket.Bangladesh and Hathurusinghe aren’t alone in this. India coach Rahul Dravid has similarly reasoned that the pressure of needing to maximise WTC points has led teams to prepare more result-oriented pitches.Day one in Dhaka was reminiscent of Hathurusinghe’s 2016 blueprint of raging turners at home. Bangladesh pulled off Test wins against England and Australia in Dhaka that season, but after the team lost to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and West Indies between 2018 and 2021, the template came under criticism for being too one-dimensional. Russell Domingo, who coached Bangladesh from 2019 to 2022, oversaw a change to more sporting pitches in some series.Hathurusinghe, interestingly, was in charge when Bangladesh beat Afghanistan by 546 runs in June, on a rare fast bowlers’ pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. That pitch, though, was prepared keeping in mind Afghanistan’s perceived weakness against short bowling. It was also a non-WTC game, so they could take that chance.Spinners took 13 of the 15 wickets that fell on day one of the Dhaka Test•AFP via Getty ImagesAfter Wednesday’s play against New Zealand, spin-bowling allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz said Bangladesh would have to maximise home advantage especially when WTC points are involved. This pitch, he suggested, wasn’t impossible to bat on, particularly once the ball was more than 30 overs old.”Sylhet had a slow pitch with some help for batters at first, and then for spinners,” Mehidy said. “We are habituated with the Mirpur wicket. Whenever we play abroad, those teams take home advantage. We try to take it in Test cricket. If we can get these points in the WTC, we will be in a better position in the points table.”It is slightly challenging for batters, but if they are committed to their shots, they can play. Batters have to take these responsibilities. The first 30 overs are challenging, but when the ball gets old, it gives the batters an opportunity. The ball doesn’t do much when it gets old on this surface.”Mehidy, who took three wickets to help reduce New Zealand to 55 for 5 after Bangladesh were bowled out for 172, said he had tried to keep things simple. While speaking about the wicket of Kane Williamson, who was caught at short leg off a ball that turned and bounced sharply, Mehidy stressed on the importance of planting doubt in the batter’s mind.”It is important to keep things simple for bowlers,” he said. “I tried to turn the ball in the first few overs. I tried to keep my spot knowing that the pitch will play its part.”I didn’t try anything big, but I just tried to confuse him [Williamson]. A confused batter is bound to make mistakes on this pitch. I wanted him to think which way to play against me. I tried to keep him under pressure. This dilemma often produces a wicket.”Mehidy made a distinction between red- and white-ball cricket when asked whether Bangladesh need to play on better batting surfaces at home.”Players try to adjust to the conditions whether it’s a good wicket or not,” he said. “I think we can take these advantages in Tests, but we probably should play on better wickets in white-ball cricket.”But look, if we can’t bowl them out, it is hard for us to win. We usually bowl sides out after conceding a lot of runs in overseas Tests. I think it will take time for things to change.”Shoriful Islam has been Bangladesh’s lone seamer in both Sylhet and Dhaka•AFP/Getty ImagesWhat this template does to fast bowlers could be a big question going forward. Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson bowled only 9.2 overs between them in Bangladesh’s first innings, but they know it’s a one-off for them. They will mostly play in conditions that aid fast bowling in some form. But for it’s a cause for concern for Shoriful Islam, or Bangladesh’s wider fast-bowling group.Shoriful was Bangladesh’s lone seamer in both Sylhet and Dhaka. He will go to New Zealand from here, where he has to bank on the memory of bowling on helpful conditions. Others like Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman and Tanzim Hasan will go underprepared, without having built up a Test-match workload in the home season. In the past, the adjustment between minimal bowling in home Tests and shouldering a major burden overseas has cost Bangladesh’s fast bowlers.New Zealand hasn’t said anything negative about the nature of the pitch, but that may be because their one press conference in this Test match so far involved a spinner, Mitchell Santner, who was playing his first Test in two-and-a-half years. Santner took 3 for 65 as the New Zealand spinners picked up eight of the ten Bangladesh wickets.”That’s the challenge when we come over to this part of the world,” he said. “It does spin, and that’s cool. It’s good for us to come in and challenge ourselves on these kind of wickets, because when we go back home, we make green ones that can nip around.”We know how good Bangladesh are at home, and they’re very tough to beat in these conditions, and they showed in the first Test the blueprint of how to go about their work on these kind of surfaces.”If the unseasonal rain stays away from Dhaka, the second day could be decisive, and the match could be over on the third day. Either way, the Dhaka Test is unlikely to see a turnaround for batters, with the pitch only expected to get harder to bat on. It could put the venue under the match officials’ radar too. The Shere Bangla National Stadium has incurred demerit points in the past.Ultimately, the merits and demerits of a one-sided pitch are felt by the home side’s decision-makers. If there is an advantage to be had, they will take it. Bangladesh aren’t going to complain about Dhaka pitch – at least not until they see a flat one or a green one somewhere else in the world.

Allrounder bounces back from being dropped after two games for unlikely starring role at No. 3

Matt Roller14-Nov-20213:12

Moody: Credit to Langer and Finch to galvanise this Australian team

Mitchell Marsh stands tall in his stance, collar popped. This is Marsh’s first World Cup final and when the first ball arrives, he is in the midst of a storm: Australia have lost Aaron Finch early on and Adam Milne, New Zealand’s fastest bowler, is ready to test out Marsh’s perceived weakness against hard lengths.Milne bangs his first ball in halfway down at 89mph/144kph, straying on to Marsh’s hips. Glenn Phillips is riding the boundary at deep-backward square-leg and sees Marsh’s pull heading in his direction, then cranes his head to see it fly into the 20th row of the lower tier.Milne’s second ball is quicker and shorter, 92mph/147kph and nipping away off the seam. Marsh rocks on to the back foot, opens the face, and steers it away fine, beating deep third to his left.His third is banged in again, 88mph/141kph and back of a length, and Marsh smears it away on the pull, beating Phillips to his left. In the space of three balls, New Zealand’s early stranglehold has loosened.Related

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Eighty minutes later, Marsh has 77 not out off 50 balls, hitting both of New Zealand’s spinners – once his kryptonite – for towering sixes on his way to the highest score of his T20I career. Glenn Maxwell reverse-sweeps the winning runs and Marsh runs towards him screaming, lifted off his feet in celebration.Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa, his close friends, are the first two Australia players running on and they embrace him like proud parents. “I feel like a lot of people say this but I don’t really have words right now,” Marsh said, on collecting the match award. “What an amazing six weeks with this group of men. I absolutely love ’em to death – and we’re world champs.”Six months ago, Marsh was pulled aside by Australia’s coaching staff at the start of their tour to the Caribbean and told he would be given a chance to bat at No. 3. Even with several senior players missing, it came as a surprise: Marsh had filled the role in the Big Bash but his T20 international opportunities had come as a finisher, with limited success.Cricket on ESPN+

Match highlights of the Men’s T20 World Cup final is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).

The message was simple: to impose himself on the game and make the most of the opportunity to face fast bowlers in the powerplay. Marsh had worked hard to improve his range against spin and was still dismissed by West Indies’ spinners four times out of five – but his tally of 219 runs, three fifties and a strike rate of 152.08 made him Australia’s player of the series by a distance.His record in Bangladesh – 156 runs off 158 balls in five innings – hinted at a struggle but he was Australia’s leading scorer again, 99 clear of anyone else. On slow, low pitches he found a way to survive against spin after hours of work in the nets against Australia’s spinners. “He’s the one guy at the moment, facing spin, [who] I’m really comfortable about,” Zampa said.Marsh’s emergence – and the management’s hunch that Australia could survive with allrounders as their “fifth” bowler – was enough for them to rip up a long-standing structure of five frontline bowlers, with Marsh given licence to go hard at No. 3. But after an innings of 11 off 17 in their opening game against South Africa and a Thanks For Coming against Sri Lanka, Justin Langer told him he would be left out against England in Dubai.”I politely said ‘no worries, mate’ and walked back into my room,” Marsh told Fox, “and I screamed into my pillow.” With only six specialist batters, Australia were timid, rendered unable to attack after losing early wickets. They were thrashed, losing with 50 balls to spare, and causing Aaron Finch to bemoan their lack of attacking intent. “He was obviously disappointed, but he knew that it wasn’t a performance thing,” Finch said. “It was only a structural change.”Five days later, Marsh was back in the side with licence to attack, with Finch and Langer emphasising their focus on playing “really aggressive” cricket. The cushion of Matthew Wade at No. 7 meant the value of top-order wickets decreased, which Marsh recognised, taking early risks in order to maximise Australia’s powerplay.Mitchell Marsh runs towards old friends Adam Zampa and Marcus Stoinis to celebrate the win•ICC via Getty ImagesAgainst Bangladesh, he crunched Taskin Ahmed for four then six to seal a crushing win, against West Indies two days later, he hit 53 off 32 balls to confirm qualification. “We were comfortable with being able to fail being aggressive, because we know that’s when we play our best,” Finch said after the final.In the semi-final, Marsh was thrown into the heat of the battle in Shaheen Afridi’s first over, trapped on the pad first ball only for the umpire’s call to save him. After a nervy start, he drove Afridi through extra cover for four, then struck Haris Rauf for six and four in consecutive balls to keep Australia up with the rate.Marsh has never lacked for critics, derided by many as a player whose opportunities have owed as much to his father and his promise as any track record of performance. “Most of Australia hate me,” he laughed two years ago after taking his first Test five-for. “There’s no doubt that I’ve had a lot of opportunity and haven’t quite nailed it, but hopefully they can respect me for the fact I keep coming back… hopefully I’ll win them over one day.””He’s the nicest person you’ll ever meet in your life,” Finch said. “He’s obviously a special player. To be able to put up with the critics for so long when his performances haven’t been bad, by any stretch of the imagination, in any format of the game. For him to keep coming back and keep improving when people keep doubting him shows how much of a quality person he is.”Marsh’s match-winning hand in the final epitomised the tangled process behind Australia’s success: a fortnight ago, he was running the drinks but four games of backing talent, power and aggression to the hilt have seen them lift the trophy. When Australia wakes up on Monday morning, they will have an unlikely new hero.

As he has done so often in his already-impressive MLB career, Shohei Ohtani achieved a feat no other baseball player has accomplished. Ohtani, who made his seventh start of the season on Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, pitched four innings for the first time in 2025, striking out eight batters while allowing no walks and just one earned run. At the dish, Ohtani belted a two-run homer to give himself some run support in the bottom of the third inning.

Since RBI became an official statistic in 1920, Ohtani is the only MLB player to hit a homer, strike out eight-plus hitters, drive in more runs than he allowed and draw more walks than he allowed, according to OptaSTATS. For good measure, Ohtani's third inning homer was also the 1000th hit of his career. In other words, he was quite busy.

The kicker? The Dodgers lost 5-3.

Ohtani, speaking to reporters through his interpreter Will Ireton after the game, expressed his belief that he could have done more to help the Dodgers win, particularly at the plate.

"A really close game throughout," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. "I think it would have been a huge win for us if we were able to flip the script. I could have done better with the quality of at-bats in the middle part of the game."

It's hard to believe that Ohtani could have done more, given just how much he accomplished on the field. But the mindset is admirable nonetheless. He did go on to acknowledge that it was a big day for him "personally", noting he was pleased to pitch through the fourth inning for the first time this season.

But it's clear that he would have been more pleased had the Dodgers managed to earn a win. And wins are becoming even more paramount for Los Angeles, which holds just a two-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West.

Marcus Rashford may have fired another shot at Manchester United, with the England international claiming that the "environment" that he now forms part of at Barcelona "pushes us to be the best". That could be considered a nod towards those at Old Trafford not providing players with a platform on which they feel comfortable and capable of unlocking full potential.

Fresh start: Rashford tumbled out of favour at Man Utd

Rashford stepped out of the Red Devils’ fabled academy system to become a first-team star while still in his teens. He took in 426 appearances for the Premier League heavyweights, scoring 138 goals.

A personal-best return of 30 efforts in 2022-23 earned Rashford a lucrative new contract, but said deal is unlikely to be honoured. With form fading from that point, the 28-year-old forward was loaned out to Aston Villa last season. He now finds himself on the books of Barcelona.

Rashford has rekindled a professional spark alongside Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski at Camp Nou, with six goals and eight assists being recorded through 21 appearances. He is back in favour with Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWinning environment: Rashford happy and settled in Catalunya

A man that relies on confidence in order to deliver on expectations believes that he is now in ideal surroundings when it comes to recapturing consistency and playing with a smile on his face. Some of that love for the game was lost when falling out of favour in Manchester under Ruben Amorim.

Rashford has told of embracing a new culture in Catalunya that sees everybody pulling in the same direction: "I've always been, like many people in the world, an admirer of Spanish football.

"To play for the biggest club in Spain is a huge honour. I'm looking forward to playing more games here, just doing my best and try to help the team to win. It's a club that demands this. The environment is always pushing us to be the best players we can be so it's perfect to be in a place like this as a player."

On his bid to silence any doubters, Rashford added – with questions having been asked of his commitment to the cause at Old Trafford: "I don't see anything here as like a pressure. It's just, I'm here to play football. It's been amazing. I feel welcome, I feel at home. I've just been enjoying every step of the way."

Language barrier: Rashford taking Spanish lessons

There has been a language barrier for Rashford to break down, but he is taking lessons in a bid to become bilingual – which will help to make communication with club colleagues easier. He said of being embraced by the Barca family: "All my teammates welcomed me well and I also felt very good in the city. It’s the first time I’ve lived away from Manchester, but I’m already starting to feel at home. I want to learn more Spanish and I’m trying."

Blaugrana boss Hansi Flick has said of helping Rashford to settle in new surroundings, with it important that he feels happy off the field in order for performances to be delivered on it: "I followed him his whole career, I was impressed with his quality, what he’s doing in the box in front of the opponent’s goal. He has shown it in Barcelona. Also for him this change to live in another culture, with fantastic people, nice weather, it’s amazing. We can see now he’s also smiling a lot. If he can enjoy the atmosphere we have it’s also very good."

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Getty Images SportPermanent transfer: How much it will cost Barcelona to sign Rashford

Rashford joined Barca on an initial season-long loan. The reigning La Liga champions have the option of making that move permanent in 2026, with a €35 million (£31m/$41m) transfer fee being agreed.

The 68-cap England international has no intention of returning to the infamous ‘bomb squad’ at Old Trafford and will be doing all he can to convince Barcelona of his worth. There have been plenty of reports to suggest that a purchase clause will be triggered at some stage.

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has opened up about why he believes England have all the necessary “ingredients” to win the 2026 World Cup. Joining host Adebayo Akinfenwa for the latest episode of GOAL’s Beast Mode On Podcast, the Selecao manager predicts the Three Lions will go far at next summer’s showpiece in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

• Expectations high in England as Kane hails 'world class' Tuchel

  After topping Group K by winning all eight of their qualifying fixtures, expectations are high in England ahead of the World Cup. Thomas Tuchel’s men booked their place in North America following an impressive campaign which saw them score 22 goals and concede none in clashes against Albania, Serbia, Latvia and Andorra.

  And as a result, there is strong belief within the England camp that they can go all the way in their quest to add to their sole World Cup success in 1966, with captain Harry Kane singling out “world class” Tuchel as someone who could make the all-important difference.

  “He's done a really good job,” Kane said in November. “Coming in to being England manager is never easy, especially after Gareth who was one of our most successful managers. He's [Tuchel] tried to stamp his own feel into training, into meetings.

  “He comes with a lot of enthusiasm. Tactically we are really precise going into every game. He's been building different ideas leading up to next summer. Form now until then there will be more he would like to add. Tactically he has been fantastic.

  “He brings a personality, he brings an aura that represents an England manager. Going into a major tournament that is important as well. Other teams know he is one of the best managers in the world and that brings weight as well.”

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  Portugal boss Martinez gives his thoughts on Three Lions' chances

  One man who also believes England have what it takes to lift the World Cup is Portugal boss Martinez, who is well-accustomed to English football having also managed Everton and Wigan Athletic in the Premier League.

  Sitting down for a chat with GOAL’s Beast Mode On presenter Akinfenwa, Martinez agreed with Bayern Munich striker Kane that the very presence of Tuchel means England should be considered as one of the “favourites” to win the competition.

  The 52-year-old said: “You’ve got a manager [Tuchel] that’s got a neutral way, that’s won the Champions League [with Chelsea], he’s managed at the highest level.

  “I always feel that the club competitions prepare the players individually to represent the national teams. 

  “The players England have, they get the benefits of the competitive aspect of the Premier League and what they do in the Champions League, these clubs.

  “The product is there, the ingredients are there. So I do feel that England are part of that ‘favourites’ group.”

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  Ex-Everton and Wigan manager predicts England's World Cup rivals

  Speaking of a ‘favourites group’, Martinez believes there are several countries who could cause England problems at the World Cup, including one national team that are yet to secure their place at the tournament.

  “Argentina, Brazil are two teams that are competitive, they always find a way,” Martinez continued. “Germany, for me in Europe, they are making huge progress under their coach, [Julian] Nagelsmann. 

  “Obviously Italy, they are in the playoffs but if they qualify, they will be a team that can go all the way. They’ve got these extremes, they won the Euros [in 2021], then they don’t qualify in either of the World Cups [in 2018 and 2022], either side of the Euros.

  "And you have to accept that teams like France and probably Spain now, they are number one in the [FIFA] world rankings, they should probably be the favourites out of anybody just because of their historic past, the belief that their national teams have, the players that have won every single tournament at youth level, and they just won the Euros [in 2024] with quite a distinctive superiority.”

  England – alongside Martinez’s Portugal – will find out who they will play at the World Cup when the draw takes place on Friday, 5 December in the United States, with the ceremony starting at 17:00 GMT (12:00 local time).

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• Watch the Beast Mode On Podcast episode, starring guest Martinez

  Check out every episode of GOAL's Beast Mode On Podcast via the official YouTube channel. You can also listen to full episodes via Spotify.

Innings By no means the perfect innings for Pakistan, but 160 should be enough on this Dubai wicket. A fiery return to form for Mohammad Haris, who scored 66 off 43 deliveries, was the primary contribution that helped Pakistan to that figure.Either side of him, Pakistan struggled. They managed just two boundaries in the first five overs, which produced just 31 runs, with Saim Ayub falling for a golden duck. Sahibzada Farhan, put down early, scratched through his innings for 29 off 29, and it was left to Haris, promoted up the order, to inject impetus into the innings.Sixteen came off the final powerplay over, and that was the start of the onslaught. Until then, Haris had 16 off 18. His next 25 balls would produce 50 as Pakistan raced up close to eight runs per over, but once again, Oman pegged them back. Aamir Kaleem, the left-arm spinner, was the pick of the bunch as he had Haris drag on, before Salman Agha lapped a full toss off his first delivery to deep midwicket.It produced another barren spell for Pakistan and the boundaries dried up again. Fakhar Zaman struggled for timing and Hasan Nawaz, so often a hammer at the death, couldn’t get himself in, and holed out off his 15th ball for nine runs. It wasn’t until Mohammad Nawaz arrived in the 17th over, his cameo ensuring Pakistan got past the 150 mark. On a slow wicket in Dubai, that might just do the job, but Oman’s bowlers have ensured their batters get a sniff.