We're upbeat to give Sri Lanka hard time in Colombo Test: Simmons

Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons categorically said that his side is confident to push Sri Lanka hard in the second and final Test, starting today (Wednesday) at 10:30 AM (BST) at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground in Colombo, reports BSS.

His confidence stemmed from Bangladesh's performance in the Galle Test, where the visitors created a genuine chance to win the game.

"There's a lot of confidence from the way we played (in the first Test)," Simmons told the reporters in Colombo on Tuesday. "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," he added.

In the recent past, Bangladesh showed their vulnerability in the opening game of the series-they lost a Test in West Indies before winning the second one to draw the series on Caribbean Island in November 2024. A similar thing happened against Zimbabwe on their own backyard. After losing the first Test to the African nation, Bangladesh roared back with a victory to salvage a draw in the series.

But the Galle Test ended in a draw despite the domination of Bangladesh. Many believe Bangladesh could have won the game had they declared it earlier.