Twenty three years on, Shanto wants five days of good cricket from Bangladesh

Bangladesh captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto has set his side a simple target ahead of their first Test series in Australia in 23 years, insisting the team wants to play good cricket across all five days rather than dwell on the difficult history between the two sides.

Speaking in Darwin on Wednesday ahead of the opening Test starting on August 13, 2026, Shanto confirmed wicketkeeper batter Litton Das had recovered fully from injury and would be available for selection, a boost he said would add extra confidence to the batting line up even though Litton did not feature in the warm up match.

That warm up outing against a Cricket Australia XI ended in an innings defeat, with Bangladesh bowled out for just 54 in one innings, results that have understandably raised questions about how competitive the tourists can be against a side that has reached the World Test Championship final twice in the last three cycles.

Shanto, however, was quick to separate the practice match from what lies ahead. "That was a preparation phase. From tomorrow, the real battle begins. What matters is how well we accept that challenge. Everyone is ready for it," he said, adding that comparisons with Bangladesh's disastrous 2003 tour, when both Tests were lost by an innings, no longer applied.

"I was talking with the selector (Habibul Bashar) about exactly this, this team is no longer the team from 23 years ago. He has belief in this team. A bad day can happen in a practice match, but I believe such a day will not come in the Test match."

Bangladesh's build up has also included their first experience of a Test match drop-in pitch, having previously only encountered the surface type during the 2024 T20 World Cup. Shanto said the squad had prepared as best they could for the adjustment.

"We have not had the opportunity to play on a drop-in wicket before. But as professional cricketers, we have to adapt to these challenges. As I said, our preparation has been good. I hope we will be able to adjust to these conditions."

On the Darwin surface itself, which carries a visible covering of grass, Shanto expects a fair contest between bat and ball. "There is definitely grass on the wicket. But I think it will be a good wicket. There will be help for both bowling and batting. The bowlers may get a little more assistance. The wicket looked good to me. I think there will be challenges for both batting and bowling, and we have to try to do well in both departments."

The captain was also candid about the scale of the task facing his batters against an Australian pace attack led by Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. "The new ball is always challenging everywhere, and perhaps a little more so here. Whoever bats, they should play their natural game and bat for runs," he said, before stressing the importance of application.

"Batting for a long period while maintaining concentration is extremely important because they have a very good bowling attack. To handle that attack properly, we must bat with much greater concentration and better planning."

Despite the gap in pedigree between the sides, Shanto insisted motivation was not an issue within his squad, pointing to what a strong individual or team performance could mean going forward.

"Nobody needs extra motivation. Everyone knows that a big score here, taking five wickets, or doing well as a team will be very good for ourselves and for the future of our team. That motivation is already working inside everyone. From what I have seen, everyone is very confident about doing well."

Bangladesh have met Australia in Test cricket on six occasions, winning just once, with three of Australia's five victories coming by an innings. The two sided series begins at Marrara Stadium in Darwin before moving to Mackay for the second and final Test later in August.