Aussies 'embarrassed' by Dhaka loss: Smith

Australian skipper Steve Smith has hit back at veteran paceman Peter Siddle's suggestion that the team got ahead of themselves in Bangladesh.

Skipper Steve Smith admits Australia were left "embarrassed" by their first Test defeat to Bangladesh but he insists they didn't get ahead of themselves by looking beyond the tour.

Australia will tumble to No.6 in the world Test rankings if they lose the second Test starting on Monday in Chittagong and hand Bangladesh a 2-0 series victory.

Questions remain about Australia's selections for the tour.

The decision to initially overlook Steve O'Keefe - a proven match-winner on the subcontinent - in favour of fellow left-arm spinner Ashton Agar was particularly contentious.

Smith said the decision to pick the younger Agar was driven by the desire to build a winning team for the next tour of India in 2021, prompting criticism from veteran paceman Peter Siddle.

Siddle, who was not offered a Cricket Australia contract this year, suggested Smith's comments had added pressure to the team.

"He can think that, but it's probably not something that he should have said out loud," Siddle told Fox Sports News on Saturday.

"There is a lot of cricket to be played in four years. There is an Ashes series coming up where we will use a certain amount of players. There will be Test matches in the couple of years coming that will be just as important.

"It made it hard and it added extra pressure to the boys ... let's just worry about the moment."

Smith insisted Australia's focus had always been on the tour in front of them but said there was a need to get players acclimatised to playing in subcontinental conditions.

"At times you also have to look a bit to the future," Smith said.

"I was pretty open when I said Ashton Agar's a player that we think has a bright future ... there's nothing like playing in these conditions so I guess that's what we've sort of talked about.

"Peter Siddle's entitled to his opinion but I never think that we've looked too far ahead and not concentrated on this tour, that's for sure."

After being labelled "overpaid prima donnas" after their shock loss in Dhaka, Smith said he was confident the Australians would bounce back with victory in Chittagong.

"Obviously, last week didn't go to plan," Smith said.

"We were all hurting after the game and a bit embarrassed about our performance so we have got to turn it around this week and start playing some good cricket."


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Source: AAP



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