Aussies abroad: How bowlers fare

The Australians have touched down in Bangladesh for their first Test tour in 11 years, and are heavily favoured to come away with a series win.

But much the same was expected in Sri Lanka 12 months ago and there they crumbled to a 3-0 defeat.

Quick Single: The batsmen at home away from home

Having already analysed how Australia's batsmen stack up in Asian conditions, it's time to put the bowlers under the microscope. And with up to nine of Australia's 14-man squad potentially available to send down some overs we take a closer look at their numbers home and away and, most importantly, on turning tracks in Asia.

Josh Hazlewood

In Australia
M: 15 | Wkts: 65 | Ave: 25.35 | BBI: 6-70 | 5wi: 3

Overseas
M: 15 | Wkts: 53 | Ave: 25.45 | BBI: 6-67 | 5wi: 2

In Asia
M: 7 | Wkts: 16 | Ave: 32.75 | BBI: 6-67 | 5wi: 1

With no Mitchell Star in the touring party, the "Bendemeer Bullet" will lead the Australian attack – or at least the pace brigade – with his relentless accuracy. His overseas record is on par with his performances at home to underline Hazlewood's reliability, and how valuable he is to the team. While his record in Asia is not quite the same, he did take a career best 6-67 in Bangalore in March. Like all the quicks, he knows his role in Bangladesh will not be all out attack. "(The fast bowlers') role will be to sit back and build that pressure (if) there's not a lot in the wicket for us, and being consistent over a long period of time," Hazlewood said last week in Darwin.

Patrick Cummins

In Australia
N/A

Overseas
M: 3 | Wkts: 15 | Ave: 23.93 | BBI: 6-79 | 5wi: 1

In Asia
M: 2 | Wkts: 8 | Ave: 30.25 | BBI: 4-106 | 5wi: 0

It is incredible to realise that Cummins, who burst onto the scene so famously in 2011, is yet to play a Test match on home soil. That fact will surely change come this summer's Ashes series, but the upside is the 24-year-old has plenty of experience in foreign conditions. He made an immediate impact when drafted into Australia's Border-Gavaskar squad in March and will look to again rough up the locals with his pace in short-spell bursts. His overseas numbers stack up well against a first-class career record of 42 wickets in 11 matches (including the three Tests) at an average of 26.71.

Jackson Bird

In Australia
M: 5 | Wkts: 24 | Ave: 24.20 | BBI: 4-41 | 5wi: 0

Overseas
M: 3 | Wkts: 10 | Ave: 35.30 | BBI: 5-59 | 5wi: 1

In Asia
N/A

Jackson Bird's participation in Bangladesh will likely hinge on the monsoonal conditions currently being experienced in the country and he could be a handful for the Bangladesh batters if the Aussies are served up under-prepared and green pitches. He thrives with Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield but his overseas record gives limited experience in Asia. He's played just two first-class games – warm-up matches with the touring Australian Test teams – in Sri Lanka last year and Mumbai last February – where he took a combined 4-136 at 34 from 36 overs.

Nathan Lyon

In Australia
M: 32 | Wkts: 118 | Ave: 34.55 | BBI: 7-152 | 5wi: 3

Overseas
M: 35 | Wkts: 129 | Ave: 32.34 | BBI: 8-50 | 5wi: 6

In Asia
M: 15 | Wkts: 61 | Ave: 37.18 | BBI: 8-50 | 5wi: 4

Much expectation rides in the fingers of Nathan Lyon and Australian cricket's greatest off-spinner of all time will be keen to underline his growing reputation in the subcontinent. Against India this year, Lyon took 19-480 at 25.26, including that memorable 8-50 in Bangalore.

Compare that to the 16-511 at 31.93 he took in Sri Lanka 12 months ago and the struggles he had in that six month period and his improvement becomes clearer. Lyon was challenged by coach Darren Lehmann to improve after that Sri Lanka tour but slipped further and was in danger of losing his spot as he endured a wicketless drought that stretched 110 first-class overs. But a fortuitous injury to Stephen O'Keefe on the eve of the Adelaide day-night Test Lyon held his spot and a dynamic spell that produced three wickets under lights on the third evening and he hasn't looked back.

Ashton Agar
(first-class stats shown as only two Tests played)

In Australia
M: 36 | Wkts: 96 | Ave: 39.67 | BBI: 6-110 | 5wi: 5

Overseas
M: 8 | Wkts: 18 | Ave: 43.27 | BBI: 3-107 | 5wi: 0

In Asia
M: 2 | Wkts: 6 | Ave: 33.50 | BBI: 3-107 | 5wi: 0

Ashton Agar is all but certain to don Baggy Green cap No.434 for the first time since 2013 in eight days' time having been selected as the second front-line spinner in the squad. Agar is keen to point out he's a better bowler and better all-round cricketer and person than the charismatic teenager who hit 98 on debut at No.11. Bangladesh will provide the perfect proving ground. Those Asia matches listed above are a pair of Australia A games, one in 2013 before he made his Test debut, and one in 2015, so evidence on which to judge is limited. However, on a Darwin wicket intentionally roughed up to replicate Bangladesh conditions, he took four wickets last week to underline his preparations.

Mitchell Swepson
(first-class stats shown as no Tests played)

In Australia
M: 14 | Wkts: 41 | Ave: 32.82 | BBI: 4-33 | 5wi: 0

Overseas
N/A

The only uncapped member of the Australia Test squad, Swepson's statistics do not quite tell the full tale. He has no first-class matches overseas, but he is far from devoid of subcontinent experience. He impressed national skipper Steve Smith on the Colombo practice wickets last year when bowling with the National Performance Squad under the tutelage of none less than Muthiah Muralidaran. And he was part of the Test squad for a baptism of fire in this year's Border-Gavaskar Trophy. A leg-spinner who has won rave reviews from Shane Warne (as most do) he's undeniably a project player but could yet earn a Baggy Green if the Aussies are presented with a Dhaka dustbowl.

Glenn Maxwell

In Australia
N/A

Overseas
M: 5 | Wkts: 7 | Ave: 41.28 | BBI: 4-127 | 5wi: 0

In Asia
M: 5 | Wkts: 7 | Ave: 41.28 | BBI: 4-127 | 5wi: 0

Like Cummins, Maxwell yearns for the opportunity to play a Test in home conditions. A strong performance in the middle order with the bat would go a long way to securing that future, but he also has a valuable roll to fill with the ball – when called upon. He bowled just six overs in the two Tests he played in India earlier this year as captain Steve Smith stuck with Nathan Lyon for an off-spinning option. But Smith last week encouraged Maxwell to continue working on his bowling to "give me another option". He has since changed his action to shorten his bowling stride in a bid to find more drop and shape on the ball. On the roughed-up Darwin pitch, he took 1-22 in nine tidy overs on the final day of Australia's intra-squad match.

Hilton Cartwright
(first-class stats shown as only one Test played)

In Australia
M: 22 | Wkts: 18 | Ave: 44.16 | BBI: 3-61 | 5wi: 0

Overseas
N/A

Australia's seam bowling allrounder who could be considered more of a back-up batsman, Cartwright's experience is limited. He was part of the National Performance Squad team that trained with the Australian Test players in Sri Lanka last year. On his Test debut against Pakistan in Sydney, he was required to bowl just four overs, but has the ability to do a job if required. Former Test star Ryan Harris, in Bangladesh with Australia's Test squad in a bowling coach role, spoke to cricket.com.au last year about the Western Australian and was full of praise. "He's got his body nice and strong and bowling with a bit more consistency and a bit more pace," said Harris.

Steve Smith

In Australia
M: 24 | Wkts: 2 | Ave: 174.5 | BBI: 1-3 | 5wi: 0

Overseas
M: 30 | Wkts 15 | Ave: 36.13 | BBI: 3-18 | 5wi: 0

In Asia
M: 11 | Wkts: 4 | Ave: 60 | BBI: 1-41 | 5wi: 0

Steve Smith may have started his career as a leg-spinner batting at No.8 but is of course now the world's no.1 Test batsman and national captain. He's bowled himself just 36 overs since taking over the Test captaincy but reserves the right to give it a rip on occasion. He left the job to the front-line spinners in India this year, but did bowl himself in Sri Lanka 12 months ago. If Smith is bringing himself on things may not be going all Australia's way but changes can bring wickets – and he did take 2-52 in six overs against his Test teammates in Darwin last week.

Australia in Bangladesh 2017

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade.

Bangladesh squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (c), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Liton Das, Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.

22-23 August Tour match, TBC

27-31 August First Test, Dhaka

4-8 September Second Test, Chittagong