Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons has expressed his frustration following a dismal batting performance by his side during their three-day practice match against a Cricket Australia XI in Darwin. The visitors suffered an innings and 38-run defeat after being bowled out for just 54 in their second innings on Saturday.
The collapse was largely triggered by rookie left-arm pacer Campbell Thompson, who dismantled the Bangladesh top order to finish with impressive figures of 8-25. The entire second innings for the visitors lasted only 22 overs, with opener Tanzid Hasan providing the highest individual score of 22. In the first innings, Bangladesh had posted 263, while the Cricket Australia XI responded with 355.
Reflecting on the result, Simmons did not mince words regarding his team's showing. "I think we let ourselves down with the bat in this practice match, and you look at how we got out and it wasn’t nice," the coach stated. Despite the disappointing outcome, he remains focused on the upcoming Test series, which begins on August 13. Simmons noted that the team has four days to address the technical and mental issues exposed during the match, expressing confidence that his players will put in the necessary work to be prepared for the challenge against Australia.
In positive news for the touring side, team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan provided an encouraging update on left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who suffered a finger injury while batting on the opening day and subsequently missed the remainder of the fixture. According to the physio, both the pain and swelling have decreased significantly. With the first Test still five days away, there is optimism that Taijul will be fully fit and available for selection by the time the series begins.
