Australian selectors have turned back the clock again by recalling Michael Clarke and Jason Gillespie, while punting misfiring allrounder Andrew Symonds for the opening Test against Bangladesh.

A five-pronged attack has been picked for the match starting on Sunday with the intent of quickly crushing any resistance from the cricketing minnows.

There were three changes to the team that completed a 3-0 clean sweep of South Africa in Johannesburg this month.

Stuart MacGill was selected for the spinning deck at Dhaka's Fatullah Stadium while Justin Langer and Michael Kasprowicz were unavailable due to injury.

The decision to go with a quintet of bowlers squeezed out the under-performing Symonds who failed to transfer his explosive one-day game to the Test arena.

It is understood the powerful Queenslander isn't completely out of the selection frame despite averaging 19.06 with the bat and 45.44 with the ball in 10 Tests.

Besides a starring effort in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa last December, Symonds produced little and Australia's experiment with allrounders is on the backburner for the moment.

Clarke had mixed feelings about his elevation after speaking with close mate Symonds.

"I just went and saw Symo, I am pretty upset for him because we are pretty close but as you say it is a hard job to be a selector," Clarke said.

"But for me personally I am pretty excited for another opportunity in Test cricket and hopefully I can start off the same as I did against India and try and keep my spot for a little while longer."

Clarke made his Test debut in India in October 2004 in sensational fashion by scoring a hundred but came back to earth last November when he was dumped from the national side.

"Symo is very disappointed, it is funny it was not that long ago that I had the same feelings at the time I got dropped and the reality was I was not scoring enough runs. They had to pick somebody else," Clarke said.

"He said to me 'I have not performed as well as I would have liked' but he is a strong character and I know one thing for sure, he won't be giving up, he will be training his backside off.

"I know a major goal for him is to play against England in an Ashes series so he will be fighting his way back in.

"I am certain he is not out of the picture just yet."

Clarke said it was a long five months out of the Test side but his strong performances for the one-day team had ensured he was at the front of the selection queue.

It has been a stunning return to grace for Gillespie who was shocked to be called up on Wednesday due to injuries to Kasprowicz and Shaun Tait.

It had looked like his career was over following a forgettable Ashes campaign last year but he has cut off his famous "mullet" haircut and is back in the world No.1 side.

Gillespie was rewarded for a strong domestic season with South Australia.

Mike Hussey will open the batting with Matthew Hayden while Clarke slots into the No.5 batting spot.

Ponting felt the extra bowler would ease the load on his attack.

"Michael Clarke gets another opportunity at Test level, having been the 12th man in South Africa," Ponting said.

"We believe he's progressed in the last 12 months.

"Stuart MacGill has been brought back to exploit the conditions here in Bangladesh, which are likely to favour spin bowling, and Jason Gillespie has been rewarded after a summer's hard work in domestic cricket."

Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Damien Martyn, Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Stuart Clark, Stuart MacGill. 12th man: Andrew Symonds.

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