Draw in Galle gives Bangladesh a lot of belief going into second Test, says Simmons

Colombo, June 24 (IANS) Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons expressed confidence ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka, stating that the team's strong showing in the series opener has boosted morale, something not often seen in their recent Test history.

Bangladesh had previously drawn a two-match Test series in the West Indies in November 2024 after losing the first Test and managed a similar result at home against Zimbabwe in April 2025, also bouncing back after an opening defeat.

"There's a lot of confidence from the way we played. Often, we're a bit slow to start in the first Test of a series, but this time, we hit the ground running. That gives us a lot of belief going into the second Test," Simmons told reporters ahead of the second Test in Colombo.

"The morale has been excellent from the start. The guys did their work in Dhaka so that we could hit the ground running here. The draw in Galle was a solid result, and we've recovered well in the three days since. Spirits are high.

"It looks like a good wicket so far. I haven't seen it today, but from what we saw yesterday, it looked decent. Tomorrow, we'll come in and look to play as hard as we did in Galle. There are a few little things we want to improve on, and it's important that we either maintain or elevate the level we showed in the first Test.

"The players are doing well. Playing good cricket lifts the mood, and we've had a decent break between Tests. They're mentally strong and physically ready. We're up for the challenge," he added.

Simmons mentioned that Bangladesh is yet to decide whether they will field three spinners or three seamers for the second Test in Colombo. Mehidy Hasan Miraz is expected to return to the playing XI after missing the first Test due to a fever. If the team chooses to go with just two spinners, Nayeem Hasan, who took a five-wicket haul in the opening Test, may have to make way for the more experienced Mehidy, who also adds value with the bat.

"That decision will be made later today, depending on what we see in the pitch. We've just arrived at the ground, so we need to assess the conditions first before deciding on team balance, whether we go with three seamers or three spinners," said Simmons.

"That's the hard part. Nayeem had a wonderful game in Galle, so leaving him out would be tough. But everyone understands that selection depends on conditions and what's best for the team. We always try to ensure everyone's on the same page when these decisions are made," he added.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva expects a high-scoring encounter in Colombo and has called on his batters to take greater responsibility. He emphasised that the team can only put pressure on the opposition if they post a strong first-innings total.

"We always talk about big first-innings runs. If we can post a strong total, the pressure shifts to the opposition, and then it's about taking 20 wickets to win the match," said Dhananjaya.

"It's going to be a batting wicket. Normally, these kinds of wickets tend to turn in the last couple of days. There might be a little bit of spin towards the end of the Test."

--IANS

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