Simmons keeps faith in spinners to level Test series

Tigers face a must-win challenge in the Sylhet Test after losing the opening match in Mirpur. With a series defeat looming, head coach Phil Simmons is once again banking on his spinners to deliver, insisting that he has no doubts about their ability despite their underwhelming performance in the first Test.

Bangladesh began their ongoing ICC World Test Championship campaign against the West Indies in fourth place in the standings, with hopes of climbing to second by winning the home series. However, the Mirpur defeat has made that target considerably harder, while Bangladesh have also slipped one place in the table.

A victory in Sylhet would level the series 1-1, repeating the result of Bangladesh’s 2024 tour of the West Indies. Defeat, however, would leave the hosts facing the embarrassment of a home whitewash against the Caribbean side for the first time in five years.

Bangladesh have gone seven matches across all three formats without a win since their historic Test victory over Australia in Darwin. They also missed an opportunity to win the Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Simmons believes batting failures have been a major factor behind the team's recent slump.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the Bangladesh coach said on Wednesday: “Since the Darwin Test, we haven't done well, especially with the bat. We showed in Darwin what we can achieve when we go out with determination. But in every format we have played since then, our batting has not been up to the mark.”

Bangladesh's spinners also struggled in the Mirpur Test. West Indies' trio of Roston Chase, Jomel Warrican and Joshua Bishop claimed 16 wickets between them, while Bangladesh's three spinners, Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan, managed only eight.

Simmons, however, remains convinced that spin is one of Bangladesh's biggest strengths.

“I haven't seen many teams dominate our spinners like that. It is true that we didn't bowl well, but that doesn't happen all the time. Our spinners are one of our strengths. We have some talented fast bowlers coming through, but spin remains a major strength for us. These two spinners won us the match on the final day of the last game, so we still have full confidence in them,” he told reporters.

The coach is also optimistic about the Sylhet surface. Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 78 runs at the venue in May this year, and Simmons sees similarities between that pitch and the one prepared for the upcoming Test.

“It looks quite similar to the wicket we played on against Pakistan. The playing area looks good and the pitch also looks good. Overall, it gives me a similar impression. But we will have a better idea of its final condition when we come in tomorrow morning,” he said.

In that Pakistan Test, Taijul and Miraz shared 12 wickets, while the three Bangladesh pacers took eight between them. The hosts could once again rely heavily on their spin attack in Sylhet.

Meanwhile, Mushfiqur Rahim is set to return after recovering from a finger injury sustained when he was struck by a net bowler during practice before the Mirpur Test. The experienced batter is expected to bat at his preferred No. 5 position.

Simmons remained tight-lipped about whether Amit would replace Mominul Haque in the side. He did confirm, however, that captain Najmul Hossain Shanto would move up to No. 3 in Mominul's place.

The coach also said the team had yet to decide whether to play three spinners or three fast bowlers.