Batting collapses 'not good enough': Smith

Test captain Steve Smith has put his side's batsmen on notice ahead of the Magellan Ashes after declaring their long-standing trend of meltdowns at the crease as "not good enough for an Australian cricket team".

After Australia saved face with a series-levelling second Test victory over Bangladesh on Thursday, Smith highlighted batting collapses as the side’s biggest cause for concern.

While there were substantial contributions from David Warner (123), Peter Hansdcomb (82) and Smith himself (58) in Chittagong, the ensuing collapse of 7-79 in their first innings was the latest stumble in what's become a worrying tendency for Smith’s side. 

"I still think have a lot of improvement in us. We probably let ourselves down at times throughout this Test match," the 28-year-old told reporters after Australia’s seven-wicket win on Thursday.

"I thought our first-innings bowling was very good to restrict them. Our first-innings batting, obviously the partnership between 'Petey' (Handscomb) and 'Davey' (Warner) was fantastic. 

"And then we got ourselves into one of our collapses that we've had. I think we've had 15 collapses in our last 14 games, our analyst told me yesterday. 

"That's not good enough for an Australian cricket team. That's something we really need to work on. 

"We need to rectify that come the next series and the Ashes."

The analyst in question, former Tasmania batsman Dene Hills, would have also catalogued collapses for 4-24 in Australia's first-innings in Dhaka and 8-86 in their second dig.

Losing wickets in clumps has long been identified as a major issue for the side, with national selector Mark Waugh labelling it an unwanted "habit" during their run of five consecutive Test defeats last summer

While finding batsmen who can consistently back up leaders Smith and Warner has been a challenge in recent years, the skipper believes the problem is less technical than it is mental.

"I'd say that probably 95 per cent of batting is mental and decision-making," Smith said. 

"I think unfortunately we've probably been making the wrong decisions and getting ourselves in some trouble. It's something that we need to work on. 

"I don't think it's technical a lot of the time. Guys just have to make better decisions consistently and hopefully be able to build some partnerships in the middle. 

"We've got off to some pretty good starts quite a lot of time and then the collapse starts. 

"We have to find ways to work with your partner out there and get another partnership going and stop the rut as such. 

"It's on each individual and the batsmen that are out there to do that and do that for the team."

Although questions remain over the make-up of Australia's middle-order going into the summer, Smith lauded Warner for his back-to-back tons against Bangladesh, which saw him jointly named (along with Nathan Lyon) player of the series.

Dispelling the only major knock on his game in the longest format, Warner broke through for his first century in Asia in more than three years with his 112 in Dhaka before notching his slowest Test hundred in Chittagong with a patient knock of 123.

With the left-hander eyeing home conditions where 14 of his 20 Test hundreds have come for the five-Test series against England, Smith has high hopes for his deputy this summer.

"I thought Davey was magnificent," Smith said. "After the first innings (in Dhaka, where he was out for eight) he changed his game and found a style to play in these conditions. 

"And the energy in his feet and the way he used his feet were spectacular.

"Hopefully he can continue to do that in these conditions and continue to dominate."

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