Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore was fuming on the eve of his side's first-ever match against Australia when he was asked if he was confident the Test would last more than two days.

Whatmore, who took charge last month of Test cricket's newest nation, took a few seconds before replying "absolutely" and after the interview at Marrara Oval here Thursday took exception with the radio reporter over her question.

Bangladesh's modest record of 19 Tests for 18 losses and a rain-affected draw since their debut in 2000 have pundits declaring a rout of spectacular proportions is in the offing.

Former Australian batsman and new commentator David Hookes fired off that there was the potential for the five-day Tests in Darwin and Cairns this month to turn into one-day events with a flurry of Test records to fall.

The Australian team have not been part of the public denigration of the Bangladeshi novices, speaking of their respect for the developing Asian team as Test cricket is played for the first time in Australia's tropical north 'dry season'.

Australian captain Steve Waugh, a great cricket traditionalist, has called the outpourings of scorn as "sledging by the media."

"There's been a lot of rubbish written over the last couple of weeks about this Test match," Waugh said at his pre-match press conference here on Thursday.

"These guys are capable cricketers. They've won two games on tour so far. They've played 19 Test matches as a country, it's not going to be a walkover, we're going to have to play good cricket.

"Obviously, they're developing and they haven't won a Test match yet... they have to start somewhere and it doesn't do them any good to continually read a lot of what has been in the papers and around the place.

"They're much better than what's been written."

Whatmore knows the great challenge that confronts his untried team, but instilled by his successes as coach of Sri Lanka, he sees the Australian tour as a wonderful opportunity for his players.

"When things are tough in international cricket it's the hard things you do rather than the soft options that I'm looking for," he said.

"I'm really interested to see how the players react to difficult periods which is always on when you're playing good sides like Australia.

"You don't get this opportunity very often and this is a great place to learn what it is all about.

"When you're playing really good sides some of our better ones might just come across and that's what I am hoping, but everyone will be taking back with them some little thing where they need to do to improve.

"To me it doesn't matter if you're bowled out for 50 here, as long as they can show me that they can fight and they're not taking the soft options.

"There's no disgrace if you do get beaten against the team like Australia, as long as these boys are keen to improve their own game by going about it in the right way, and that's all I'm interested in."

Australia has reverted to a four-strong bowling attack after playing five bowlers in the April-May series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.

Australia will go in with a fast bowling attack of Glenn McGrath (425 wickets), Jason Gillespie (163) and Brett Lee (119) with Stuart MacGill (114) offering the leg-spin option.

Fast bowler Andy Bichel and left-arm wrist-spinner Brad Hogg were left out of the eleven.

"We thought it was better to go back to the regulation formula of just four bowlers than five bowlers," Waugh said.

"Stuart MacGill has been playing English county cricket so he's ready to go, and the three quicks just needed a break, so they'll be fine."

Australia are going into a Test match in the unique situation of hardly touching a bat or ball for the last month, as they recover from a gruelling playing schedule of 10 months' continuous cricket, but Waugh is far from perturbed.

"I think a month off was good preparation for the guys, mentally and physically, they've been going 10 months straight, you can't keep that up, so I think it will do the team a lot of good having some time off and relaxing and getting away from cricket," he said.

"It's a positive, that the guys have only got back into it a week ago, they'll be fresh for the game and ready to go."

TEAMS

AUSTRALIA: Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann, Steve Waugh (captain), Martin Love, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Stuart MacGill, Glenn McGrath. Andy Bichel 12th man.

BANGLADESH (from): Khaled Mahmud (captain), Javed Omar, Khaled Mashud, Habibul Bashar, Mohammad Rafique, Hannan Sarker, Mohammad Ashraful, Al-Shahriar, Monjurul Islam, Alok Kapali, Sanwar Hossain, Tareq Aziz, Tapas Baisya, Anwar Hossain Monir, Mashrafee-bin-Mortuza.

Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (South Africa) and David Shepherd (England)