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Short order: Tigers seize their 'massive' advantage

Australia spin-bowling allrounder Ashton Agar says his rival spinners' lack of height has been working in their favour through the current T20 series

The Australian bowlers generally tower over their Bangladeshi counterparts but the visitors believe their physical gifts have actually been a disadvantage during their faltering T20 International campaign in Dhaka. 

Ashton Agar would not trade his rangy 189cm frame for anything given the extra bounce it gains him back home, but he also feels his opposite numbers have been more dangerous during Bangladesh's back-to-back victories this week due to their lack of height.

At 167cm, off-spinner Mahedi Hasan is the shortest bowler on either team and has been the most economical, going at just 4.85 per over.

It is a hugely impressive feat given half of the eight overs he has bowled have been during the Powerplay, when only two fielders are permitted outside the 30-yard circle.

Left-armers Shakib al-Hasan (175cm) and Nasum Ahmed (177cm) are a little taller than Mahedi but both deliver the ball with a trajectory cleverly suited to soft, damp Dhaka pitches that have made for an unusually low-scoring start to the five-match series.

Shakib varies his release points and often bowls with a round arm to create low, skidding deliveries, while Nasum can both loop the ball up at a slower pace and then gain sharp side spin with flatter balls.

The trio is being mentored by a master of the craft, Bangladesh spin coach Rangana Herath, the diminutive Sri Lankan who took 433 Test wickets by constantly threatening the stumps (and batters' pads) given few of his deliveries were ever likely to bounce over them.

"It makes a massive difference," Agar told cricket.com.au of the smaller stature of the Bangladeshi tweakers.

"They hit the stumps a lot, they can get the ball to really hang in the air because it's coming from low to high rather than high to low.

"Their spin bowling coach is Rangana Herath as well who was one of the best ever at doing that.

"You see Shakib do that – he pulled the pin out of a couple of balls last night that just floated down there.

"They bowl this tantalising length. Their ability to get the ball up and down and hang in the air is really important over here and they exploit that as well. It is a bit of an advantage." 

The Bangladesh trio has not been any more difficult to score off than Australia's spin bowlers Agar and Adam Zampa, who collectively have an economy rate 5.60 per over compared to Mahedi, Shakib, Nasum and skipper Mahmudullah (another finger-spinner) going at 5.58. 

What has been a difference between the two sides is the wicket-taking ability of the Bangladesh spinners, who have collected eight wickets in the two games compared to Zampa and Agar snaring just three.

The Aussies have relied on star quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in the Powerplay, leaving Agar and Zampa to send down just two of the 12 overs while fielding restrictions have been in place.

Bangladesh have done the exact opposite, with all but two overs in the Powerplays bowled by spin. The other two have been bowled by Mustafizur Rahman, who Moises Henriques says has only bowled two seam-up deliveries in the series to date.

Agar tipped a change in Australia's Powerplay bowling strategy for the remainder of the series, suggesting even Ashton Turner (coincidentally the tallest of the spinners in this series at 191cm) could be used in the first six overs.

"Particularly in the last game, it was spinning considerably in the Powerplay," Agar said.

"It's just that unpredictable nature – one skids, one spins – it's hard to play no matter how good a player of spin you are. 

"If you get the length right and the ball is doing stuff you can't predict off the pitch, that's always going to be difficult to predict.

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"The beauty is 'Zamps' and I have bowled quite a bit in the Powerplay now, we quite enjoy that challenge to be honest.

"It's actually a really good wicket-taking opportunity, too, with the spin. 

"Ashton Turner has obviously done it before in his Big Bash career, so I wouldn't be surprised if I saw him in the Powerplay as well."

Qantas Tour of Bangladesh 2021

Australia squad: Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade (c), Adam Zampa. Travelling reserve: Tanveer Sangha.

Bangladesh squad: Mahmudullah (c), Soumya Sarkar, Naim Sheikh, Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Shaif Uddin, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Mithun, Taijul Islam, Musaddek Hossain Saikat, Rubel Hossain

(all matches at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka)

First T20: Bangladesh won by 23 runs

Second T20: Bangladesh won by five wickets

Third T20: August 6, 6pm (10pm AEST)

Fourth T20: August 7, 6pm (10pm AEST)

Fifth T20: August 9, 6pm (10pm AEST)