Nonsensical Liton reflects batters' flaws
Batting disasters are a regular event in Bangladesh's Test cricket and having slumped in the first innings, the Bangladesh batters once again failed to take up the challenge against a resurgent Sri Lanka pace attack on the third day of the Sylhet Test yesterday.
The Tigers are now staring at a big margin loss which would extinguish any chance of them winning the two-Test series.
Specifically, Batting at the latter part of the day has proved to be quite challenging for the Bangladesh batters. After bundling the Lankans out for 280 in the first innings, the Tigers had lost three top-order batters for just 32 runs negotiating the last 10 overs on Day 1. In their second innings yesterday, they slumped to 47 for five in 13 overs.
The lack of Test match temperament and mindset was portrayed by Liton Das's abysmal shot in the first delivery he faced.
Liton had walked in with the scoreboard reading 37 for four. Needless to mention it required a sensible approach from one of the most experienced batters in the line-up, but Liton chose to charge down the wicket to pacer Vishwa Fernando and play across the line only to sky it and throw his wicket away. He walked back for a golden duck, leaving Bangladesh tottering at 37 for five.
Even Lankan fielders seemed pleasantly surprised at Liton's nonsensical approach. Test cricket is about grit and perseverance and batters just do not give away their wickets so freely.
Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who picked up a four-wicket haul, attended the end-of-the-day press conference and had difficulty explaining the scenario.
"I think the individual player can say what situation he is going through and what he was thinking in that moment. I think it is tough to bat at the end of the day and certainly, we have to take the challenge as we are professional players. It is disappointing the way we got out and what can I say we have to play well," Miraz said.
Having been set a daunting target of 511, the Tigers managed to scrape through to stumps on day three at 47 for five.
Skipper Nazmul Hossain Shanto chased at a really wide delivery and was caught behind. Zakir Hasan and Shahadat Dipu were made to play at deliveries.
If the end of the day is a testing spell, the Tigers simply failed to live up to the challenge. Even as two Sri Lankan batters hit tons in successive innings, Bangladesh batters did not know which to leave and which to play with soft hands and chose to rather play almost every delivery with hard hands.
"I won't say the wicket is that bad but it is difficult for the batters in the first 20 overs because, with the new ball, there is seam movement and swing," Miraz added.
Miraz's statement could be intriguing given that for players at this level, it should not be new knowledge that the red ball does a lot more for a longer period.
Questions could also be raised whether the impossible task of chasing a 500-plus target further derailed batters' mindset.
Selector Abdur Razzak was scathing in his criticism of the batters.
"In Tests, a senior batter [Liton] can't get out like this. Actually, not only Liton, we lost five wickets. It is everyone's fault. You can't say that those who are playing are young or a junior player or have not matured. They were taken into the side because they can handle such situations," he said.
The gap in technical abilities of Bangladesh batters was further exposed against the Lankans on a pitch that had something for both batters and bowlers. But if batters keep on failing in their application like this, long-term development in Tests seems far-fetched.