Labuschagne looking to salvage pride in dead rubber

Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne on Saturday said his side would be eager to avoid a whitewash when they take on Bangladesh in the third and final ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium tomorrow.

Reflecting on Australia’s disappointing campaign so far, Labuschagne stressed that every international match carries significance despite the series already being decided.

“I think in reflection, it hasn’t been the ideal series for us, but every international game is an opportunity. Every game counts and we'll be making sure we put our best foot forward and finish the series 2-1,” Labuschagne told reporters at a press conference in Mirpur ahead of the dead rubber.

"Certainly every game you lose is frustrating and you want to win games. That's why we go out, that's why we spend time away from home -- to come and play and do what we love. So we want to go out there tomorrow, play good cricket and finish the series 2-1. At the end of the day, if you lose the series 3-0 or 2-1, you've still lost the series. That's the part that hurts. But we're going to make sure we come ready to go tomorrow," he added.

Bangladesh secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series after registering victories by 86 runs and five wickets (DLS method) in the opening two ODIs that helped them also clinching their maiden ODI series victory over Australia.

Australian batters struggled against Bangladesh’s bowling attack in both matches, particularly against the pace trio, which played a pivotal role in the hosts’ back-to-back wins.

Labuschagne, who returned to the ODI side during the previous Pakistan series, has endured a lean run of form. He managed just 25 runs in four innings before producing an unbeaten 55 off 85 balls in the second ODI against Bangladesh.

The right-hander also shared a 103-run partnership with Xavier Bartlett (52) to rescue Australia from a precarious position, although the effort ultimately ended in defeat.

“On a personal note, I’ve been short of runs. Obviously, I was out of the one-day team for the home summer and then got myself back in through some domestic performances. I got an opportunity in Pakistan and then here, but it just probably hasn’t clicked quite yet,” he said.

“The other day it was nice to get some runs and help us recover from a difficult position and post a competitive score. Personally, it’s always nice to score runs when you've been under pressure, but my job now is to continue that form and keep finding ways to help Australia win games.”

Despite Australia’s struggles in Bangladesh, Labuschagne believes the conditions in Mirpur are better suited to their preparation.

Australia encountered slow and low surfaces in Rawalpindi and Lahore, but he felt the Mirpur wicket offered more pace and bounce.

“Yeah, there were completely different surfaces compared to here. I think these surfaces are more what we should be used to -- wickets with a bit of pace and bounce compared to what we played on in Lahore,” he said.

"I think it’s just a matter of learning for us and making sure we start a series really well. When you’re coming into a country and you’re not 100 percent sure about the wickets, you want to make sure you’re starting strongly. In both Pakistan and here, we probably haven’t started as well as we could have."