Aug 23 (Reuters) - Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto urged Australia and the game’s powerbrokers to give the South Asian nation more test tours, saying it was essential for his team to gain experience in different conditions to improve in the format, following their defeat in two days in Mackay.
Following a famous nine-wicket win over Australia in Darwin, Bangladesh crashed to an innings and 51-run defeat on Sunday as their first test series in Australia in 23 years finished tied 1-1.
Bangladesh piled on 426 runs in their first innings on a flat wicket in Darwin but were bowled out for 64 and 95 in Mackay as their batters struggled with the pace and bounce of the wicket, not to mention the supreme bowling of left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc.
Shanto said beating Australia in Darwin was a proud moment for his team but Mackay highlighted the challenge of facing a nation that had hosted them in only one previous test tour back in 2003.
“We showed our character and our discipline in that first test and we need to be consistent," he said.
“I believe if we are able to get more chances in similar kind of conditions here, it will help us. And that’s what we want.
“Not long, long time — like 23 years ... And then play two test matches. It’s not easy.
“If we have that opportunity, that chance to play every single year, it will help us to improve our game."
Australia are not alone in rarely hosting Bangladesh, with England having played only four tests against them at home. Bangladesh's last test tour of England was a two-match series in 2010.
DIFFICULT WICKET
With Australia dismissed for 210 in Mackay, bowlers' domination of the match put the pitch under scrutiny at Great Barrier Reef Arena on its debut as a test venue.
Three of Australia's last seven home tests have finished within two days, including the Perth and Melbourne Ashes tests during the last home summer, which cost host board Cricket Australia millions in forgone revenue.
Starc, who took 10 wickets in the match, naturally loved the Gabba-style pitch, and spinner Nathan Lyon, who scored 32 not out batting at number 10 in Mackay, also had no complaints, rating the surface as a good cricket wicket.
Shanto was less positive, saying Australia had also struggled on it.
"It was quite a difficult wicket to bat, to be very honest," he said.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by William Mallard)
