A Test side lacking Test mindset

Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh's third most experienced Test cricketer, is set to play in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram, reducing the gap in experience between the two sides -- a factor that many have attributed as a major cause behind the team's abysmal performance in the Sylhet Test.

The Tigers were blown away by the Lankans in the first Test, conceding a 328-run defeat -- their first 300-plus-run defeat in home Tests since May 2015, when Pakistan pummeled them by the identical margin in Dhaka.

As is the norm after every crushing defeat, the team was asked what caused such an appalling performance and on paper, the reason seemed obvious enough.

The gulf in Test experience between the two teams – with the Bangladesh squad totaling 270 Tests between themselves compared to Sri Lanka's 491 – is a convenient explanation behind the disaster, one that the team seemingly also concurred with.

"When the senior players play, that gives us an advantage. They explain different match situation to the team and also boost up the players. But they are not here," Mehedi Hasan Miraz had told the reporters after the third day's play with Bangladesh already reduced to 47 for five chasing 511.

Miraz's explanation paints a picture where it seems that without the senior players, the Test side feel lost in the middle like a herd of lamb without their shepherd.

Although Bangladesh were without three of their most experienced players in Tests in Mushfiqur Rahim (88), Tamim Iqbal (70) and Shakib (66), the team that took on Sri Lanka was by no means a second-string side.

Mominul Haque (60), Taijul Islam (45) and Miraz (42) are among the top 10 most experienced Test players for Bangladesh. The team against Sri Lanka also had four players with 50 or more Test innings in their top seven.

Moreover, Shakib and Tamim last played a Test for Bangladesh in April 2023, against Ireland in Dhaka. The team had played three home Tests without them before taking on Sri Lanka, where they defeated Afghanistan and New Zealand and conceded a defeat to the Kiwis.

Mushfiqur was the only notable absence in the team, and although he is a crucial player for Bangladesh in the middle-order, saying that his absence had such a catastrophic effect doesn't seem like a wise assertion.

In the Sylhet Test, Sri Lanka didn't outplay Bangladesh because they had more experience, instead they outdid the hosts because of their superior mindset.

Bowling first, Bangladesh had Sri Lanka reeling at 57 for five in the first innings, but once the shine wore off of the ball, the bowlers couldn't come up with a way to break Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis' stand, both of whom hit centuries.

With the bat, Bangladesh didn't have the temperament to handle the first 20 overs and paid the price.

The fate of the match was already sealed when Bangladesh went to bat late on Day 3 chasing 511. The hosts still had over two days in hand and ideally should've tried to bat as long as possible.

But the batters had seemingly already surrendered to their fate with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto edging out to a ball that was way out of his reach and Liton Das getting caught trying to hit a six first ball.

In the Chattogram Test, starting March 30, the hosts won't have the excuse of experience with Shakib coming in. So, the Tigers better figure out how to get into the Test mindset or think of a new excuse if things go south once again.