After one of the biggest moments of their careers, Bangladesh are eyeing a first Test series win in the southern hemisphere
A plea from Bangladesh’s ice-cool Trinidadian coach to his euphoric charges to maintain the composure that dismantled Australia last week could be aided by the prospect of their bowling attack being strengthened further in Mackay.
Phil Simmons, the former allrounder who played in legendary West Indies sides of the late 1980s and early 1990s, labelled last week’s upset in Darwin as the best Test win of a long coaching career that has seen him lead five different international teams.
“I’ve had other formats with big ones but, in Tests, is the best,” said Simmons, a veteran mentor who has also coached Ireland, Zimbabwe, West Indies (twice) and Afghanistan. “The only thing I had to say to them … is that Australia is going to come harder. So we have to either keep that level of performance or get a little bit better.”
The serene demeanour of the 63-year-old who boasts a Test century at the MCG was never more apparent as he allowed at least a dozen clip-on microphones to be attached to his lapel by Bangladeshi reporters eager to hear from him at the conclusion of the team’s training session at Harrup Park on Thursday.
Simmons had declared Bangladesh’s mission only half-done in a stirring post-Test address in the Marrara Stadium changerooms last week, insisting his team now focus on pulling off a first ever Test series win in the southern hemisphere.
“It may not hit you all now how big this is, but at the end of your career you’re going to look back on this as one of the biggest things you have achieved in your career,” he told players after their nine-wicket win. “Because that team next door is not an easy team to beat.”
In the same breath, Simmons also urged his team to not over-celebrate their stunning upset, made all the more remarkable considering it came on the back of innings defeats to Zimbabwe and a Cricket Australia XI in their preceding red-ball matches.
He laughed when asked if he was confident players could replicate the discipline and calmness they displayed in Darwin: “We can only find out on Saturday.
“Yeah, Bangladesh people are emotional – and I am not the same,” Simmons continued. “So it’s easy for me, it’s easy for me to control that, but it’s difficult for them.
“But I think looking at them today, guys have settled back down. We’ve have had three days actually now, so guys have settled back down a lot and we hope that … we start on the right footing on Saturday morning.”
Assisting that could be the injection of Shoriful Islam into the tourists’ attack after the left-arm quick sent down a fearsome nets spell two days out from the second Test, more than proving his fitness following a side strain that ruled him out of the series opener.
There were concerns around opener and first Test centurion Tanzid Hasan however, who didn’t bat at training today due to neck issue. Mushfiqur Rahim also suffered a scare when he was struck on the finger while batting in the nets, but the veteran resumed training and looks set to play Saturday.
Shoriful took a six-wicket haul in an ODI against Australia in June and possesses pace, height and a southpaw angle lacking from Bangladesh’s disciplined pace trio in Darwin. Spinner Taijul Islam or seamer Ebadot Hossain loom as the most likely players to make way.
“He offers something different, but again, we just won a Test match, so I am one who hardly likes to change winning XIs,” said Simmons. “So it is a possibility, but I can’t really say until we sit down and decide what we want to do.
“I’m impressed with all the bowlers because I think everybody bowled to what we spoke about (in Darwin). They (Australia) are good batsmen, they’re world class batsmen.
“When you get them on this stage, you try and be consistent in areas that will test them, and it worked this time. Another day, it might not work, but as long as we stick to what we’ve planned and we make sure that they’re under pressure all the time, is what we ask for.”
NRMA Insurance Bangladesh Test series
First Test: Bangladesh won by nine wickets
Second Test: August 22-26, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 10am (local)
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque Showrab, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali Anik, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan, Litton Das, Shoriful Islam
