CAIRNS, July 28: Australian skipper Steve Waugh praised hapless Bangladesh despite another heavy Test defeat here on Monday, saying the minnows’ batting had been better than Pakistan and the West Indies.

Australia beat Bangladesh by an innings and 98 runs on Monday, just over a week after crushing them by an innings and 132 runs in Darwin.

But Waugh had words of encouragement for Bangladesh despite the back-to-back trouncings.

“I can think of some batting line-ups worse than the Bangladeshis’,” said Waugh. “Their batting was a lot better than some West Indies’ efforts in recent years and they were better than Pakistan in Sharjah last year.”

Bangladesh’s Test record is now a dismal 20 losses and a draw from 21 contests. Waugh urged the critics to be fair however.

“It’s easy to write off a side because they lost by an innings, but they will improve,” he said. “They have a lot of talent.”

Waugh said his side was stunned when Bangladesh reached 150 for one wicket on the first day.

“Day one was a good performance,” he said. “We expected three or four early wickets at least, so when they were 150 for just one on a wicket that was doing a bit, that was quality batting.

“They were positive, their body language was good, they took some balls on the body ...I would say they’re on their way.”

He said his bowlers sent the ball down short of a length in the first innings and had to “change their mindset” in order to get on top of the tourists.

Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore said his side held up Australia for a day longer than they had in Darwin.

“That’s a way of looking at it — I thought there was definite improvement,” he said. “At 150 for one on the first day... most people might have been surprised ... and to get 295 was excellent.”

The future, including a Test series against Pakistan after the one-dayers against Australia, looked bright, he said.

“Maybe against other opposition in the future it might be just that little bit easier and we can progress,” he said.

Whatmore said leg-spinner Stuart MacGill’s dominant performance of 17 wickets for the series was a result of his batsmen focusing so hard on keeping out pace bowlers they relaxed against MacGill.

“We did not apply the same amount effort against the slower bowler as we did against the pace men,” he said.

Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud denied suggestions his team were more interested in posing for photographs with Waugh than getting him out during his innings of 156 not out.

“When we are on the ground we are rivals, but off the ground we have guys who have liked Steve Waugh for a long time and that’s personal.

“But when we are playing, we fight hard.”—AFP