Australia look for response to 'Darwin Disaster' in second Bangladesh test

SYDNEY, Aug 20 : Only a thumping win will do for Australia in the second test against Bangladesh this week as they look to ease the embarrassment of their shock nine-wicket loss in Darwin and even up the two-match series.

Bangladesh outplayed their hosts in all departments last week to secure their first test win on Australian soil and will look to do so again from Saturday in Mackay, a city on the subtropical Coral Sea coast of Queensland.

"The Darwin Disaster" has become shorthand for the first-test loss in the Australian media, and the repercussions were swift for struggling opening batter Jake Weatherald, who was dropped on Tuesday. 

Matt Renshaw has been handed another chance to solve Australia's longstanding issues at the top of the batting order, returning at the age of 30 after three years out of the test set-up hoping to add to his tally of 645 runs in 14 matches. 

Paceman Scott Boland and wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis are other options in the squad for personnel changes, but Australia will probably just be looking for better performances from their existing star-studded lineup. 

"We are a proud group of cricketers and obviously last week didn't go to plan," wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who is set to play his 50th test, said this week.

"When this team has been challenged, we always find a way to bounce back in a big way. I am looking forward to Saturday."

More questions will certainly be asked about the world's top-ranked test team if they cannot manage that at Great Barrier Reef Arena, which will become Australia's 12th test venue on Saturday.

All-rounder Cameron Green, who scored a valiant century in the second innings of the Darwin defeat, is the only player in the squad under the age of 30. 

Top-order batter Marnus Labuschagne has already been warned by coach Andrew McDonald that he needs "big runs" in Mackay to keep his place in the squad as Australia look ahead to at least another 18 test matches over the next 12 months.

PACE SHIFT PAYS OFF

Bangladesh, by contrast, can look forward to the second test with some freedom after stunning the cricket world with a well-deserved victory over the World Test Championship standings leaders. 

The shift to a pace rather than a spin-centred bowling attack has paid huge dividends in the longest form of the game and they have the option of bringing back Shoriful Islam, who has recovered from the hamstring problem that ruled him out of the series opener.

The left-armer is one of Bangladesh's top pacemen but it might be hard for the selectors to replace any of the five bowlers who dismissed Australia twice in Darwin to trigger one of the biggest test upsets the game has seen.

If the tourists can buck a tradition of failing to back up big wins and beat Australia in Mackay to sweep the series, that would surely have to rank as the biggest. 

"Which team does not want to win a series? We also want to win the series," Shoriful told reporters on Tuesday. "We will try."