Smith: Batting collapses a major concern

Russell Greaves

Smith: Batting collapses a major concern image

Australia captain Steve Smith conceded his side must overcome their persistent issues with batting collapses as they build towards the Ashes.

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Nathan Lyon was the 13-wicket hero in Thursday's seven-wicket win over Bangladesh, which levelled the two-match Test series, but Smith's focus fell on Australia's woes with the bat.

Having lost the opening contest in four days, Australia even managed to lose three wickets in chasing down the meagre victory target of 86 in the second Test in Chittagong.

"Those batting collapses, they've become quite a regular occurrence for us," said Smith, who also offered some positives.

"It's something we need to rectify. We get ourselves into good positions and then can't go on with it. That's something we have to fix.

"I thought we played some good cricket at times in this Test match. In the first innings ... to restrict them to what we did.

"I'm proud of the way the boys got over the line in the end to get the 1-1 draw."

A drawn series represents an excellent result for the hosts, whose captain Mushfiqur Rahim turned his attention towards the upcoming series in South Africa.

"We will learn from this innings and hopefully in the next couple of years, if a similar situation comes, we'll handle it better," he said.

"Whether you win or lose, there are always areas to improve. It will be different conditions in South Africa. We have to come up with good plans and execute well."

Russell Greaves