Steven Smith expecting tough series against Bangladesh
What's the story?
Australian skipper Steven Smith expects the upcoming 2-match Test series against Bangladesh to be a closely-fought one but is hopeful of a favourable outcome in what will be their first series since the pay dispute with Cricket Australia got resolved.
Having been beaten 3-0 by Sri Lanka and 2-1 by India, Steven Smith wants his players to make up for the mistakes and come out on top against the Tigers.
"We'd certainly like to have done a lot better on the subcontinent that's for sure," Smith told reporters after Australia's arrival in the Asian country.
"Now it is an opportunity for us to change (our record). I thought we did some things really well in India. We just needed to do it for a little bit longer, and consistently.
"I think it is going to be a great series. Bangladesh is very good here. (But) We have to be confident in our skill set and hopefully, we can get our processes right and have a really good series."
The background
Australia's tour of Bangladesh is finally set to get underway having faced several roadblocks in the past.
The tour, originally scheduled for October 2015, was postponed indefinitely after a terrorist attack in Dhaka, in which 20 foreign nationals were killed.
The pay dispute between the Australian Cricketers Association and Cricket Australia also led to fears that the tour could once again fail to take place but the timely resolution has ensured otherwise.
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The details
Bangladesh has improved a lot from their early days as minnows and poses a serious threat to opponents on their home turf.
While they have defeated the likes of South Africa, India, and Pakistan in ODI series' their biggest achievement arguably has bee the 1-1 Test series draw against England in 2016 which highlighted their credentials as a major cricket power.
Australia, on the other hand, has always found it tough on subcontinental pitches and has in fact only won 2 of their 22 Tests in Asia in the last ten years.
Steven Smith is desperate for Australia to turn around its fortunes in the subcontinent and is hopeful that the players can put to use their learnings from the previous tours to good use in Bangladesh.
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What's next?
Australia will get their preparation for the Test series against Bangladesh underway with a two-day practice match against Bangladesh Cricket Board XI on Tuesday.
The first Test between Australia and Bangladesh will begin on August 27 at Dhaka, while the second Test will be played at Chittagong beginning on September 4.
Author's take
Despite Australia's impeccable record elsewhere, the Indian subcontinent has always remained a tough proposition for them.
Bangladesh has also improved vastly in the past few years, but it still would be a big surprise if they manage to beat Australia and come out on top in the two-match Test series.