They have been defeated by the English by a huge margin of an innings and 261 runs. The 5-day match beginning on May 26 lasted only two and a quarter days, Bangladesh scoring 108 and 159 all out in 2 innings (38.2 and 39.5 overs to be precise) against their opponent's single innings score of 528 for 3 declared.

It was only thanks to the dogged resistance put up by wicket-keeper Khaled Masud Pilot and pacer Anowar Hossain scoring 58 runs in their 2nd innings 9th wicket partnership that the Bangladesh team could play more than 10 overs on the 3rd day of the match and save the match organisers from refunding the full ticket money to the spectators (they could get away by refunding 50 percent).

For those who are interested in statistics, the Lords Test was the 37th Test match for Bangladesh. Out of the previous 36, they have won one (against Zimbabwe), drawn four, and lost the remainder. This was one of the 10 worst defeats in Test match history. In this match, Bangladesh played the shortest innings in terms of overs (38.2 overs), setting a new (bad) record in Test match history.

There can be no denying that the Test match at Lords was one of the most disappointing events for Bangladeshi cricket lovers, when they had to see their "Tigers" coming out from the field after the game was over looking like drenched pussy-cats instead. Nobody expected the Bangladesh team, the youngest member of the Test club, to win or even pull out a draw against a much superior team like England, and that also on English soil. But was it wrong for them to expect that their players, having played so many Test matches and one day internationals under the world famous cricket wizards like Gordon Greenidge, Mohinder Amarnath, and Dav Whatmore as coaches, would at least put up a fight?

It is not the defeat that tarnishes the image of a team or a nation. It is how the defeat has been incurred. Did they play to their potential ? Did they put up a fight ? Were they serious and responsible in their effort ? Watching the game on television, I could not find an affirmative answer to any of these queries and this is where the tragedy lies, and that is why we are so anguished. Could Habibul Basher, the skipper of the team, say that he was serious and responsible in his effort as a skipper or even as a player when he tried to pull a ball far wide of the off stump and got out in such a thoughtless manner? To me, it is none but the players themselves who should take the full responsibility for the humiliation that the nation, the team, the officials and the players themselves suffered in the Lords Test, an event that will be remembered for a long time as a nightmare for Bangladesh cricket.

Having said all the negative aspects of our boys' performance, we still want to pin our hopes on our boys and encourage them to put up a commendable fight in their next matches. We still want to believe in the praises of cricket wizards and commentators that our boys have the talent. A lot of our batsmen have shots up their sleeves. What they lack is application, temperament, and mindset.

True, our boys are not used to playing on bouncy wickets like that of England, South Africa, or Australia, but it is high time they learnt the technique. They have had enough exposure to overseas cricket over the years, and by this time they are expected to know how to negotiate a short pitched ball. They must know where their off stump is and when and how to leave a ball. They must curb their appetite for going at everything. If not from anybody else, they can take a lesson from Khaled Masud Pilot's innings and start practicing. Last but not the least, they must believe in themselves that they have the potential.

The author is a freelance contributor to The Daily Star.