Handscomb fights on in oppressive heat

More than three decades on from one of the most iconic sledges in Australian cricket history, Test great Allan Border has doubled down on his light-hearted claim that Victorians simply can't handle the heat.

Thirty-one years after Border famously told Victorian Dean Jones that he should retire hurt if he couldn't cope with the oppressive temperatures during the Tied Test in Madras, the former Aussie skipper has repeated the sledge to another Bushranger, current Test batsman Peter Handscomb.

Handscomb was forced to take an extended time out late on day two of the second Test against Bangladesh on Tuesday as the punishing tropical heat in Chittagong got the better of him.

And Border was quick to cheekily point out that like Jones, Handscomb hails from south of the Murray River.

"It must be a Victorian thing," Border told Fox Sports, his beaming smile leaving no doubt that his comments were in jest. "They don't like it too hot."

And in a shocking turn of events for a proud Queenslander, Border even pointed out that New South Welshman David Warner had seemingly handled the conditions in Chittagong better than Handscomb had.

QUICK SINGLE Handscomb fights on in oppressive heat

"David Warner was up the other end (having) no problems," Border added. "He'd been out there for an extra couple of hours.

"So I don't know what's with these Victorians, they just can't handle the heat."

Handscomb tries to compose himself late on day two // Getty

Border's comment to Jones in 1986 came during the Victorian's famous double-century in what was only the second tied Test match in the history of the game.

When Jones was clearly struggling during his epic innings, Border suggested that fellow Queenslander Greg Ritchie - the next batsman in - would be better equipped to handle the stifling conditions.

The 1986 Tied Test

"I was wanting (Jones) to stay out there because he was batting so well, and of course I didn’t know just how distressed he was," Border would later recall.

QUICK SINGLE The career ended by the 1986 Tied Test

"I knew Greg Ritchie was in next, and I knew there would be some easy quip I could make to fire him up, so I said, 'Yeah well that’s okay mate, if you want to go off now we’ll get someone out here tough, we’ll get a Queenslander out here'."

Jones (left) and Border after winning the 1987 World Cup // Getty

"I can’t repeat the words he said back to me, but he did stay on, he made another 30 or 40 … and the legend was born."

Handscomb, who was unbeaten on 64 from 95 balls when he called for medical assistance, had ice applied to his head and was given a tablet by the team doctor, who had jogged onto the field when the batsman took a turn.

Coach Darren Lehmann later confirmed that both Handscomb and Warner were simply exhausted and expected them to resume on the third morning.

Day wrap: Aussies defy heat, Bangladesh bowlers on day two

"They're in the ice baths at the moment," Lehmann said of the unbeaten pair.

"They'll be fine, they're back tomorrow and away we go. They're just exhausted.

QUICK SINGLE Defiant Australia eat into deficit

"(It was) really gutsy, obviously it's pretty hot out there, we saw that yesterday and you have to work really hard for your runs."

Australia in Bangladesh 2017

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Steve O'Keefe, 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, Taskin Ahmed, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Mominul Haque.

27-31 August First Test, Dhaka, Bangladesh won by 20 runs

4-8 September Second Test, Chittagong