Exasperated sighs, brooding stares, and hands on hips were perhaps the common responses as people tuned into the state-run BTV channel late afternoon on Sunday.

Bangladesh put on a display of how not to start Day 1 of a Test match, against low-ranked Zimbabwe at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Once again, the Tigers dished out an unpromising brand of cricket, which, albeit, is nothing far from the usual.

Bangladesh were bundled out for 191 in 61 overs after opting to bat first, and, in response, Zimbabwe finished proceedings on the first day in a commanding position of 67 for no loss.

But, perhaps, the Tigers' grim display this time came at quite the wrong time and may have even left them bare in the midst of all the exciting cricket that is going on in the subcontinent.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had to suffer from a broadcast blackout as it failed to sell the TV rights for the ongoing home series, resulting in the matches to be telecast on BTV for free -- a move that is widely considered to be a blow to the Tigers' perceived brand value as an international side. 

BCB missed out on the massive chunk that TV rights sale fetch, and, it was no wonder the board president Faruque Ahmed admitted that they were facing a "tough time".

Companies that are usually in the mix for Bangladesh's broadcasting rights simply felt telecasting this series would not be financially feasible, with one party even admitting that they would struggle immensely to sell the series as a lucrative marketing space to advertisers.

This brings forth a rather damning implication that Bangladesh cricket's popularity is on the decline and there are many Bangladeshis who simply would not miss watching this series, particularly at a time when the Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League are in full swing and being broadcasted by local TV channels like T Sports and Nagorik TV. 

Mushfiqur Rahim is the only representative of Bangladesh's 'Big Five' -- which also includes Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza -- in the Test. 

Some might even argue that the absence of such stars have come as a hammering blow as none of the players in the eleven, individually or even collectively, bring the star value and commercial success the "Big Five" were able to fetch.

On top of that, such bleak performances by the home side in a Test match do not spur much encouragement for fans thinking about going to the ground to catch the action. The handful that were present at the stadium yesterday had to return home with a bitter taste.

Symptoms of decline won't bode well for the Tigers' commercial growth and sustainability, which, almost in every case, comes with results. The BCB is one of the wealthiest cricket boards in the world and the national team's performances in the past decade have helped it boast that financial strength. 

Periods of underwhelming performances, coupled with the uncertainty and economic challenges in recent times, have forced private companies to be much more speculative about their spending.

Missing out on a broadcaster for a home series must serve as a wake-up call for BCB and the cricketers. If anything this situation has brought to the fore, it is that the performances of the cricketers on the field remain the most important thing for keeping the money roulette spinning. And if Najmul Hossain Shanto and Co keep offering the same as they did on Sunday, Faruque and Co must brace for more "tough times" in future.