2017 Australia Tour of Bangladesh - Bangladesh Vs Australia First Test @ Dhaka August 27-31,2017

Australia Announce Playing XI for 1st Test Against Bangladesh

Australia captain Steve Smith revealed the playing XI Australia will be going in with for Sunday August 27,2017 's opening Test in Dhaka

Usman Khawaja will return and play his first competitive game in more than seven months being recalled alongside left-arm spinner Ashton Agar to Australia's XI for the first Test. 

Khawaja and Agar, who both spent the Test series in India on the bench, return in place of Shaun Marsh and Stephen O'Keefe respectively after they were left out of the 14-man squad for the Bangladesh tour. 

Khawaja, who hasn't had a game since January is likely to slot in at No.3 with captain Steve Smith moving down to No.4, while Agar will partner Nathan Lyon in a two-pronged spin attack. 

The rest of the team is along expected lines as Matthew Wade has retained his spot after Smith last week ruled out any suggestions of part-time wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb could be handed the gloves to free up an extra spot in the side. 

Australia's only tour match this week was washed off but both sides are expecting spin to play a major role in both Dhaka and Chittagong. 

The Australians have not won a Test series on the subcontinent since 2011, when they beat Sri Lanka 1-0, and have been preparing hard for the slow and turning tracks.

Steve Smith's team have not played a Test in Bangladesh in more than a decade and their preparations were hampered when their only practice game was washed out because of flooding in Fatullah.

The opening Test at Mirpur will be the first between the countries since Ricky Ponting's side toured the country in 2006, winning the two-match series 2-0.

Part of the visitors' drills this time has included batting in the nets without a front pad, a lay designed to emphasise the importance of using the bat in order to avoid leg-before decisions against the slow bowlers.


AUSTRALIA Squad

Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Matthew Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

The opening Test at Mirpur will be the first between the countries since Ricky Ponting's side toured the country in 2006, winning the two-match series 2-0.

Steve Smith's team have not played a Test in Bangladesh in more than a decade and their preparations were hampered when their only practice game was washed out because of flooding in Fatullah.

Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first