Unchanged Australia set to exploit fast track

Adam Gilchrist practises ahead of the second Test at Carins

Surprisingly, given the ease with which the top-ranked Australians disposed of cellar-dwellers Bangladesh in their first Test match last weekend at Darwin, it is the home side who are under pressure to perform again in the second Test starting at Cairns on Friday.

Victory is expected of the Australians, and sooner rather than later. While that is the case whenever the side takes the field nowadays, an acknowledgement of the outstanding record they have developed under leader Steve Waugh, who is now the most successful captain in Test cricket history, the fact remains that there was a rustiness about the Australians at Darwin.

Given their own demands for excellence, the Australians can be expected to make the most of the faster pitch that is anticipated in this match. Already, the bowlers have made their mark on the tourists. Dismissing them for 97 in the first innings on a slow pitch at Darwin, they will only need to ensure that they remember the fundamentals of bowling on a quicker strip to test the tourists yet again.

Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee will be the key players in this match as they attempt to utilise the conditions on offer and their control will determine how quickly the game is decided.

At the same time, there are pressures remaining on the batsmen. One of the problems with being so dominant over the opposition as in this series, is that there is not the chance to have two innings in matches. For players like Martin Love, who has a rare opportunity for international play as Damien Martyn recovers from his finger injury, that reduces chances for what is a crucial step in his career.

Love, dismissed first ball in Darwin, needs a score if he is to remain first cab off the rank in the event of other players suffering injuries or to force his way into the side if top players suffer a loss of form. While he is not batting in his preferred position of No. 3, where he has been such a significant operator for Queensland, the adjustment to No. 6 can only stand as an excuse for not playing to ability for so long.

Matthew Hayden missed out in Darwin and can be expected to cash in this time around. That merely increases the pressure on the touring attack to contain and subdue the Australians, something the best opposing attacks in the world have struggled to do.

Waugh has been very kind in his assessment of the tourists. In his newspaper column in The Australian today, he said: "Tempo, poise, purpose, intensity, body language, patience and self-belief are words that they need to use and put into practice. They have talent in all areas of the game, which will develop as they acquire match practice in pressure situations."

He cited Mohammad Ashraful as a player with a solid technique but lacking the knowledge of how to construct an innings, with the ability to understand the occasions when graft is required and when he can unleash the shots he undoubtedly has. That could describe all the batsmen in the side, who still seem to be getting out of the groove of batting in 50-overs matches. The ability to exercise patience and application to get through the hard phases of an innings still eludes the tourists and until that is realised the way is going to be tough for them.

The Australians, have been free with their advice for the tourists, but tomorrow it is back into the game's classroom, in the middle, for the toughest examination yet, in conditions more suited to the attacking Australian attitude. While there were some encouraging signs for the tourists in the first Test, not least the ability to get good batsmen out in the manner shown by fast-medium bowler Mushrafe Mortaza, it is certain that this is going to be a much more demanding experience for Bangladesh.

Australia 1 Justin Langer, 2 Matthew Hayden, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Darren Lehmann, 5 Steve Waugh (capt), 6 Martin Love, 7 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 8 Brett Lee, 9 Jason Gillespie, 10 Stuart MacGill, 11, Glenn McGrath.

Bangladesh (from): Khaled Mahmud (capt), Javed Omar, Khaled Mashud (wk), Habibul Bashar, Hannan Sarker, Mohammad Ashraful, Al-Sahariar, Manjural Islam, Alok Kapali, Tapash Baisya, Mashrafe Mortaza, Sanwar Hossain

Umpires: Rudi Koertzen, David Shepherd (Peter Davis - 3rd umpire)

Match referee: Mike Procter