Alex Carey has downplayed Nahid Rana’s almighty send-off of Australia captain Josh Inglis, suggesting the fired-up Bangladesh paceman had merely added “a bit of spice” to the first ODI and even offered him a spot to play at the Adelaide Strikers.
Carey and Inglis both indicated the tourists’ “sloppy” fielding was the main factor in their 86-run DLS defeat in Dhaka, the Aussies’ first to Bangladesh since an infamous slip-up in Cardiff in a tri-series before the 2005 Ashes.
It is a measure of Bangladesh’s vast improvement in the two decades since that Inglis was hardly likely to channel Ricky Ponting, who, fuming after a hungover Andrew Symonds had turned up unfit to play on the morning of the match, declared the last-over loss as “probably one of the biggest upsets in the history of cricket, and my worst defeat as captain”.
Inglis instead zeroed in on the Xs and Os on Thursday evening, rueing his team fluffing up to five chances including comeback king Mossadek Hossain, who made 86no in his first international in four years having been put down by Cooper Connolly (on 21), substitute fielder Ollie Peake (on 38) and Adam Zampa (on 71).
Still, the gloveman labelled Bangladesh’s 8-284 as “chaseable”, only for his side to fail to notch a meaningful partnership in what were vastly different conditions to what they encountered in Pakistan last week.
Where the pitch for their series-deciding ODI in Lahore was deemed “unsatisfactory” by the ICC for being overly helpful to spin, Bangladesh instead served up a bouncy surface that the home side’s impressive seamers exploited better than the Australians.
The game’s telling moment came when Inglis, having twice cut rapid Rana deliveries nearing 150kph to the backward point boundary, then edged another forcing stroke through to the wicketkeeper.
It was no mean feat to beat Australia’s leading batter of recent ODIs for pace, especially one who grew up on the fast, bouncy pitches of Western Australia. The pumped-up Rana duly offered the visiting skipper some choice words as he commenced his walk to the changerooms.
That was enough to see Inglis, who labelled Rana an “exciting prospect” when asked about him a day earlier, turn back and fire his own volley at the bowler, with several Bangladesh players stepping to separate the pair.
The incident is certain to have caught the attention of the match referee. But Carey insisted there was not much to it.
“I think that’s what we want in cricket, a bit of spice,” said Carey, who prefaced his comments by conceding he had not yet spoken to Inglis and that he did not know what words were exchanged. “You don’t want to take it over the edge, clearly, but I thought that’s two players getting into the contest.”
Carey himself had suffered a near-identical dismissal to Rana to ensure he walked three runs short of a half-century, as the lanky 23-year-old then knocked over debutant Liam Scott and Xavier Bartlett, both with short balls, to finish with 4-41.
It was a fearsome opening salvo in his first match against Australia, the reigning ODI champions who are admittedly without five first-choice players on this tour.
“Clearly he was a standout tonight with a bit of extra bounce on a wicket that allowed that pace and bounce,” Carey said of Rana.
“He bowled really well. I think we all knew the pace (he had), but I guess until you face it first-hand – he’s a really tall athlete and gets a bit of bounce as well. He bowled really well is what I will say … we just weren’t able to keep him out of the game.
“We’ve got now a chance to play against him in the next two ODIs here on Thursday and Sunday. Hopefully we can keep him out of the series from now on.”
Carey will also be among the batters who will later this year encounter Rana in Bangladesh’s long-awaited first Test trip to Australia since 2003. Beyond that, there could be a spot for him in the Big Bash. “He can come to the Adelaide Strikers if he wants,” said the smiling South Australian.
Qantas Tour of Bangladesh 2026
Australia squad for Bangladesh ODIs: Josh Inglis (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Liam Scott, Matt Short, Adam Zampa
June 9: First ODI: Bangladesh won by 86 runs (DLS Method)
June 11: Second ODI, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka, 3pm AEST
June 14: Third ODI, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka, 3pm AEST
Australia squad for Bangladesh T20Is: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Adam Zampa
June 17: First T20I, Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram, 6pm AEST
June 19: Second T20I, Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram, 6pm AEST
June 21: Third T20I, Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram, 6pm AEST
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