Gilchrist: Australia may struggle to raise game

Australia have been continuing their mind-games (or covering their backs, depending on how you look at it) ahead of the inaugural Test against Bangladesh at Darwin on Friday. Last week, Steve Waugh was warning that Australia were underprepared for the challenge. This week, Adam Gilchrist has been toeing the party line.

"[The match] could be very difficult for us for a few reasons," said Gilchrist. "Not so much that where we are playing or who the opposition is. But it is a unique time of year and despite our month off, we have about 10 months on the road with a serious amount of cricket.

"It could be a feeling of difficulty to try and lift ourselves for that. I sense that there could definitely be a threat of that so we have got to make sure that we address it and don't let it slip in."

Gilchrist's fear of failure is relative. The Test has been described as cricket's biggest mismatch of all time, and last week the former Australian batsman, David Hookes, urged the Aussies to win the match inside a day. That prospect, however attainable, is extremely unlikely.

"We will keep using the word respect," said Gilchrist. "We will respect the fact that it's a Test match. And hopefully, if we win we'll be able to do it to a level that we are happy with and let Bangladesh know where the standard of being one of the best Test teams in the world is at."

Brett Lee was equally keen to put in a wholehearted performance. "I think that it is not fair on them if we don't go out there and try to put on a really good show," he said. "I think the best way to learn is for us to go out there and put on a really good performance against them. That's the way they can actually get better in Test cricket."