Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believes handling the extra bounce will be crucial as his side returns to Australia for a Test series after 23 years, with the visitors looking to put their recent 54 all-out collapse in the practice match against a Cricket Australia XI side behind them in the opening Test in Darwin, starting Thursday.
Bangladesh last played a Test in Australia in 2003 and will begin their two-match series against a formidable Australian side at Marrara Stadium. The visitors’ preparations were dented by their dramatic collapse against a Cricket Australia XI in their practice match, but Shanto insisted the team had used its extended stay in Darwin to prepare for the conditions.
Confidence Despite Challenges
“[Tackling] the bounce is the key, but we have been preparing on bouncy wickets at home in the last few months,” Shanto said at the pre-match press interaction, as per Cricinfo. “That gives us a little bit more of an idea. Here, there will be bounce, and we are well prepared, having arrived 10 or 12 days before the Test. It gives us more idea regarding the bounce. They have a world-class bowling attack, but as a team, it is a good opportunity to challenge them. We have had [poor outings] in practice matches before. This came in the preparation phase. We can have a bad day, but I think we have prepared ourselves pretty well,” said Shanto.
He added, “We are confident that we will play some good cricket. As a batting unit, there will be a lot of challenges, and we have been trying to do a lot of work. I think the challenge will be greater against the new ball. I think everyone will play their natural game and try to score runs. We are playing against a top bowling attack. It is important how much consistency and focus we can have. We have to try to bat for longer periods.”
Bangladesh have reasons for optimism despite the setback in their warm-up game. They recently beat Australia 2-1 in an ODI series at home, while their Test fortunes have also improved significantly. They are currently fourth in the World Test Championship standings after a 2-0 Test series win over Pakistan in May.
“The win against Australia in the ODI series in June gives us a lot of confidence. It was the first time we beat them in a series. We played on good wickets, so that gives us a little bit more confidence,” Shanto said. “Obviously, if you look at the last two or three years, we are going well in Test cricket. We have improved as a team. We finished seventh in the last cycle, but we are in fourth place [now]. We still have eight Test matches left in our schedule. I think gradually we have improved our game as a team. As a bowling unit, we have been doing a great job. If we just improve our batting a little bit more, it will be a great team going forward,” he added.
Team News and Wicket Assessment
Bangladesh are expected to have wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das available for the opening Test, providing some much-needed depth to a batting order that has struggled for consistency at the top. “Litton gives us batting depth,” Shanto said. “He is consistent. We are hopeful of our batting unit doing well in the Test match.”
Shanto also hinted that Bangladesh could field both frontline spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam alongside three fast bowlers, despite the pace-friendly conditions. “It looks like a pretty good wicket. We haven’t had a chance to play on a drop-in wicket, but as professional cricketers, we have to adapt to those challenges,” Shanto said. “As I mentioned, the preparation is there, so I hope we can adjust to this condition. There’s grass on the wicket, but it’s a good wicket where both batters and bowlers will find help. Maybe the bowlers will [get us good results],” he said.
Mehidy enters the Test with confidence after scoring a century in the tour game, while Bangladesh will be without pace spearhead Nahid Rana. Australia, meanwhile, have their first-choice attack available, with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon expected to spearhead the hosts’ bowling.
Match Objectives
For Bangladesh, the immediate objective is to avoid a repeat of their 54 all-out effort and remain competitive deep into the Test. “We want to play till the fifth day, take it session by session. There will always be discussion about whether we can take it to the fifth day,” Shanto said. “As players we want to take it to the fifth day.”
The second Test will be played in Mackay from August 22 to 26.
Squads
Australia (Playing XI): Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Bangladesh Squad: Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Amite Hasan(w), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, Litton Das, Taskin Ahmed, Jaker Ali, Ebadot Hossain, Musfik Hasan.