Bangladesh, under the leadership of Najmul Hossain Shanto, added another dismal chapter to their growing collection of Test cricket misfires, this time at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today.

The latest slip-up came courtesy of Zimbabwe, who secured a gripping three-wicket win in fading light -- an outcome that, in truth, should never have been on the cards.

For Bangladesh, this was not just another defeat. It was a damning reflection of lost potential, broken promises, and a red-ball setup that seems to have lost all direction.

It's clear that this was not about Zimbabwe producing something magical. They showed resilience, seized their moments, and deserved the win. But this loss? It was entirely Bangladesh's making.

If Test cricket is a game of grit, patience, and discipline, Bangladesh's batters continue to do injustice to the format -- treating it like a glorified warm-up for limited-overs cricket.

Reckless strokes, poor temperament, and a refusal to learn from repeated collapses -- it is a self-destructive formula the Tigers seem intent on sticking with.

Mominul Haque, one of the few veterans in the side, spoke about batting for sessions rather than personal milestones. But when the time came, he fell to the same familiar traps -- twice. Good advice, poorly followed.

And then there's the captain. Shanto is undeniably talented, but talent alone doesn't carry a Test team. Test cricket is not a classroom for potential -- it's a proving ground. And Shanto's inconsistency continues to anchor Bangladesh's collapses.

When your captain fails to back words with resilience, the rest inevitably unravel. Bangladesh folded for 191 on a good Sylhet surface in the first innings. Despite some resistance in the second, they could only muster 255. The rot began early on the fourth day, when Shanto, resuming on 60, fell on the same score -- his dismissal a trigger for yet another predictable collapse. 

After the contest, he accepted blame for his shot. But the lesson? Still unlearned.

Zimbabwe, chasing a modest 174, shouldn't have had a sniff. But they did. And despite a few late nerves, they crossed the line -- highlighting once more how little fight Bangladesh can summon when it matters.

Following a disastrous 2023–24 home season with four consecutive Test losses, this Zimbabwe series -- outside the World Test Championship -- was supposed to be a breather. A soft reset. Instead, it turned into a brutal reminder: Bangladesh's Test woes run far deeper than just form or pressure. These are structural failures.

A team that won three away Tests last year should, by logic, have the upper hand at home. But logic doesn't win Tests. Discipline does. And Bangladesh offered none.

Credit, though, must be given to Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam. Their combined spin efforts almost salvaged the match. Miraz's 10 wickets gave Bangladesh a fighting chance. But the batting had already sealed their fate. No team can rely on defending 174 on pitch, where there was no demon and expect to win. 

This isn't about being harsh -- this is reality. Bangladesh's Test side are in free fall, and the usual post-match cliches and pressers don't cut it anymore. Execution is everything. Right now, Bangladesh is executing failure to perfection.

And the apathy runs deep. No major broadcaster wanted rights to this series. It was left to state-run BTV to air the games. In an age when cricket is a global spectacle, Bangladesh's Test team failed to generate even passing interest.

This wasn't just a bad day at the office. This was an alarm bell. And it's ringing louder than ever.