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Bangladesh have come a long way since their first Test tour of Australia 23 years ago, but they still face a major challenge as they prepare to take on the hosts in the opening match of a two-Test series in Darwin.
The first Test will begin at Marrara Stadium at 6:30am Bangladesh time on Thursday. The second Test is scheduled to start on August 22 at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay.
Bangladesh were a fledgling Test side when they toured Australia in 2003 and lost both matches by an innings. Since then, the team has improved significantly and recorded notable Test victories, including a historic win over New Zealand in New Zealand.
However, playing Australia on home soil remains a different challenge. Australia are currently leading the World Test Championship standings and recently defeated England 4-1 in the Ashes.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his team is not focused on how long the Test might last, despite widespread discussion about whether Bangladesh can survive for five days.
“As players, we want to play good cricket for five days. We want to take it session by session,” Najmul said at a press conference in Darwin.
“Whether it goes four days, five days or three days, there will always be discussions like that. But as players, our focus will always be on how well we can play cricket.”
Bangladesh’s preparations suffered a setback when they were bowled out for just 54 in their second innings against a Cricket Australia XI in a three-day warm-up match. Najmul, however, said the result did not affect the team’s confidence.
“It was a practice match, and it can happen. We came here earlier to prepare ourselves. I think we have prepared ourselves pretty well, and we are pretty confident that we will play some good cricket here,” he said.
Bangladesh have been preparing for the extra bounce expected from Australian pitches. Najmul said the team had played some matches on bouncy pitches at home to prepare for the conditions.
The Bangladesh captain acknowledged that Australia have a world-class pace attack featuring Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
“It will be a challenge and they have been a brilliant bowling attack, a world-class bowling attack. But as a team, it is a good opportunity to challenge them and accept those challenges,” he said.
Bangladesh will receive a boost with Litton Das declared fit for the opening Test. The wicketkeeper-batter missed the warm-up match after recovering from a muscle injury sustained during the third ODI against Australia in June.
“With the arrival of Liton bhai, the depth of the batting is definitely increasing a bit and he has consistency there,” Najmul said.
Bangladesh will be without fast bowlers Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam because of injuries. Nahid’s absence is particularly significant given his pace and the potential assistance from Australian conditions.
Najmul said the team would miss Nahid but remained confident in the available pace bowlers. Ebadot Hossain has also joined the squad after shortening his paternity leave.
In the spin department, Bangladesh will rely on Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam, the country’s leading Test wicket-taker.
Despite the clear difference between the two sides, Najmul said his players do not need extra motivation.
“Everyone knows that a big score, taking five wickets and performing well as a team would be very beneficial for us and for the future of our team. That motivation is already there,” he said.
Bangladesh will need disciplined batting and sustained concentration against Australia’s strong bowling attack. For a team that has improved considerably since its last Test tour of Australia in 2003, the series will provide another major test of how far it has progressed.
