Buoyant Bangladesh ready to back up historic Test win

Bangladesh are ready to ride the bounce on a fast Mackay pitch and back up their deserved nine-wicket first Test win over Australia.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said he was expecting the surface at Great Barrier Reef Arena to have more life in it than the drop-in pitch in Darwin.

Australia's pacemen Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will pose questions, but Shanto was confident his batters would have the answers after winning their first Test Down Under.

"I think there will be a little bit more extra bounce than Darwin," Shanto said.

"Before we came here we had been preparing for this kind of bouncy track, and we had a series against Zimbabwe where the wicket was almost similar.

"The batters in the last couple of days in the net session have been doing their skill, so I think they will cope with this extra bounce."

Bangladesh are considering including left-arm quick Shoriful Islam, who has recovered from a side strain that kept him out of the first Test.

If he did come in, it would likely be at the expense of pace bowler Ebadot Hossain.

Shoriful captured six wickets in an ODI against Australia in June and worried the top order.

Shanto likes to include three quicks and two spinners in his teams, and Taijul Islam and allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz are both likely to play.

"I said many times that the spinners we have are very experienced and can bowl in any conditions," Shanto said.

"I have that luxury to go with 3-2 (bowling configuration), and with the conditions we have I am very happy with that.''

When Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons speaks, it is clear why he has been such a positive force on the Bangladesh team.

Much hard work in the background has gone into getting the side to play so well in Australia, but Simmons also has kept the squad grounded and his words offer simple, but effective, wisdom.