Experience seems to have made Bangladesh batter Mominul Haque wiser, but only with his words, not with his execution on the field. 

Mominul, playing his 70th Test, was once again dismissed after getting set at the crease during the Tigers' rain-interrupted third day's play in their first Test against Zimbabwe in Sylhet yesterday. 

Mominul nicked one back to wicketkeeper Nyasha Mayavo off a Victor Nyauchi delivery to be dismissed after an 84-ball 47. To Bangladesh's woes, Mominul's dismissal came at a time when the Tigers were finally looking to get ascendancy in the game, reaching 138 for two after beginning their second innings with an 82-run deficit. 

"You can blame many people [for the team's plight]. But those who got set and then got dismissed like me and [Mahmudul Hasan] Joy, I think we should have played with more responsibility," Mominul dropped in some wisdom after Bangladesh finished the third day's play at 194 for four in their second innings.

Earlier on the day, Joy too got dismissed after being set as he edged back a Blessing Muzarabani delivery following a 65-ball 33 a few overs into the third day's play, which saw a delayed start due to morning rain.  

However, it seems as if realising where they went wrong is not the problem for Bangladesh batters; they only struggle to transform their realisation into reality. 

Mominul also failed to convert his fifty into something meaningful in the first innings as well – the southpaw threw his wicket away with a silly shot after making 56 off 105 deliveries.   

"If anyone gets out before reaching 10 or gets dismissed early in the morning, there is nothing we can do. So, in that sense, Joy and I must take the blame. 

"When I play a Test match, I don't think of scoring a hundred. I think of batting for four to five sessions. As a senior batter, I got out after getting set at the crease and probably have batted for a maximum of one session. I think it is not a desired thing by a senior player. I think if I could have batted for three sessions at least, we could have been in a better position," Mominul added.
 
Former Bangladesh player and current domestic coach Rajin Saleh also had his say on the matter. 

"As a coach, you always say that it's not a crime to get dismissed early. But if you get set and then get out, you are a criminal. It's not ODI or T20I matches where you lose your wicket while trying to play shots. In longer formats, patience is very important, and it's also important to score runs," Rajin told The Daily Star yesterday.    

On day one, alongside Mominul, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was also dismissed on 40 while playing a loose shot. However, Shanto, who was dropped on 26, is looking sharp and en route to making amends as he finished the third day's play unbeaten on 60, helping Bangladesh to a 112-run lead.

Shanto might take his score to three digits today, and the Tigers might even fight back to win the Test against a lower-ranked Zimbabwe. However, if Bangladesh are to alter their Test fortunes in the long run, the Tigers must realise that execution is more important than anything in cricket.