On July 18, when Australia take on cricketing minnows Bangladesh in a historic Test match at Darwin, there is one fact that should overawe the visitors.

Australia's Test skipper Steve Waugh has played more Tests, taken more wickets and scored more runs than the entire Bangladesh team put together.

If that is not threatening enough, Waugh told the media that his team would aim to wrap up the match as quickly as possible at cricket's 89^th Test venue.

Labelled as potentially the greatest mismatch in Test history, a victory for Australia is guaranteed but the duration of the match is what is luring the former greats to speculate.

Former Australia 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 has 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'.

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.

"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."

Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore was livid when asked if the Test would last for more than two days.

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," Whatmore said.

"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."

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.

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 after playing 10 months' continuous cricket.