'Big Four' bowlers back as ageing Australia begin gruelling run

Australia's ageing team begin a demanding run of potentially 21 Tests in 12 months when they face Bangladesh this week, with their injury-prone "Big Four" bowling attack reunited once again.

The two-Test series, starting in tropical Darwin on Thursday before moving to Mackay, will be the first red ball cricket the world's number one side have played since the Sydney Test against England in early January.

It is the start of an intense period that includes series against South Africa, New Zealand and India before culminating in what they hope will be the World Test Championship final and a return blockbuster Ashes showdown in England.

Captain Pat Cummins, veteran quick Josh Hazlewood and spin king Nathan Lyon return after serious injuries curtailed their part in Australia's dominant 4-1 home Ashes win last summer.

Cummins, 33, played only in the third Adelaide Test as he recovered from a back injury, while Hazlewood, 35, missed the entire five-match series with hamstring and Achilles issues.

The 38-year-old Lyon suffered a series-ending hamstring problem in Adelaide and is only now getting back up to speed, with Mitchell Starc, 36, and Scott Boland, 37, carrying the Ashes load.

With all back in the frame, rotation will be the name of the game to get them through the next year, with one of the five set to miss out in Darwin. Boland is typically the fall guy.

Chief selector George Bailey acknowledged it was "an old group" but stressed that "everyone's body and mental capacities" were different.

"It's not a one size fits all," he said recently.

"And as we've seen, not just to cricket but across sport, it's an exciting time because players are playing older and are training smarter and are able to potentially perform at their best or at an international standard for longer."

Only Cameron Green at 27 is aged under 30 in the 13-man squad for Bangladesh, but Bailey said younger players were on the sidelines waiting for their chance.

Boxes to tick

Hazlewood, who needs five wickets to reach 300 in Tests, said the bowlers were excited for the year ahead.

"This group's been together for quite a long time now, the majority of it, anyway," he told reporters.

"The big series are obviously England and India. I haven't won in South Africa either, so there's three that are coming up that are a few boxes to tick off there for not just me but from this whole playing group."

Against Bangladesh, Jake Weatherald is expected to open the batting again with Travis Head as selectors continue to look for the right combination following the retirement of Usman Khawaja.

Either Marnus Labuschagne, who is searching for a first Test century since 2023, or Cameron Green should come in at three followed by Steve Smith, with Alex Carey and potentially Beau Webster to follow.

It is the first Test at Darwin's Marrara Stadium in 22 years and Bangladesh's first Test tour of Australia in 23 years.

The visitors, who lost their only warm-up game in Australia last week by an innings and 38 runs, are depleted by injury with first-choice quicks Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam out of the Darwin opener.

But experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Litton Das has given a boost to the squad by recovering earlier than expected from a calf strain.

"I have complete faith in the team that is going to Australia and believe we can play good cricket," captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said, adding that their main goal was to "earn respect."

Agence France-Presse