A few ruin the good done by many

Bangladesh turned what could have been a historic Test in New Zealand into a historic nightmare when they crashed to a seven-wicket defeat at the Basin Reserve in Wellington yesterday.

For a team that scored 595 for eight declared in their first essay, on a wicket that has historically not been kind to teams batting first, and going into bat for a second time with a first-innings lead of 56 runs deep into the final session of the fourth day, a defeat from that situation can be too tough to digest. It was like a wedding party turned into a funeral.

The stands and grass banks of the Basin Reserve were almost empty till the fifth morning, but fans started to flock in after the stunning Bangladesh second-innings collapse that gave the Black Caps a whiff of an unlikely victory. It was almost packed when New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was leading his side to victory with an unbeaten century. Although the audience was surprised with the sudden change in the game's tide and a few have remarked that the Black Caps should not   have won, it was however a classic of mental breakdown from Bangladesh's perspective.

History was made at the Basin Reserve but Bangladesh were on the wrong side of it -- when New Zealand chased down a paltry 217 courtesy of Bangladesh's second innings implosion to 160 for nine, the Tigers earned the inauspicious distinction of having the highest first-innings total (595) in a losing cause. It eclipsed Australia's 122-year record, set in 1894 when they lost the timeless Test to England by 10 runs after scoring 586 in their first innings in Sydney.

 But this is not something new for Bangladesh. They lost against West Indies after scoring 556 in Dhaka in November 2012 when they took a 29-run first-innings lead but eventually lost by 77 runs.

But this particular defeat, after consistent performances at home for the last one-and-a-half years, has hardly anything to do with their skill or the lack of it. It also has nothing to do with their mental toughness or the lack of it.

It is all to do with the attitude and approach of some key members of the team at crucial junctures of the game. Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes went into bat for the second time with 23 overs remaining in the fourth day's play. They went in to bat knowing that skipper Mushfiqur Rahim would not be able to bat unless he was absolutely required and even if he came out to bat, he might run the risk of aggravating his injured thumb that kept him off the ground for two days after his sumptuous 159 in the first innings.

Both Imrul and Tamim started well, scoring 46 runs before Imrul got injured while completing a sharp single. And when Imrul was stretchered off the ground, it should have dawned on Tamim that they would have to play without two important batsmen.

But Tamim refused to curb his natural 'positive' instinct and barely one over after Imrul's departure played a reverse sweep. Two deliveries later he went for a back-foot late cut, a dangerous option against a left-arm spinner. He was clean bowled. This was not positive cricket from a vice-captain and neither was it a responsible shot. There are times you are supposed to play for the close and with eight overs remaining he was supposed to switch off his natural attacking instinct.

Shakib Al Hasan came out in the final morning with Mominul Haque and they knew there was not much batting left beyond them. Shakib played four balls against Mitchell Santner and off the fifth he tried to loft over mid-on, almost a replay of his antics on the third morning of the Chittagong Test against England. He did get some bat to ball this time but it could only carry to the mid-on fielder. How is he going to explain this shot? Tamim came up with the lamest of excuses that the message from the team management was to be positive. Is it positive cricket? The world begs to differ.

Thankfully, it was New Zealand opener Tom Latham who won the man-of-the-match award for his fine 177. It would have been a crime had Shakib, who scored 217, been preferred for that award after what he did to his team when it needed him most.

At the press briefing Tamim said that they have a few positives that they will carry into the second Test in four days' time. Definitely there were a few positives. Shakib scored 217, which is the highest innings by a Bangladeshi. Shakib and Mushfiqur put on 359 runs, which is the fourth-highest fifth-wicket stand in the history of Test cricket. Bangladesh's 595 for eight is their second-highest Test total and so on.

But records and individual milestones mean little if those do not have a purpose. There was no devil in the wicket and unfortunately Bangladesh's second innings total of 160 for nine eventually became more important than all those records and personal milestones.