Bangladesh ODI vice-captain Najmul Hossain Shanto lamented his side's top-order batting on a good wicket as they went down in a comprehensive eight-wicket defeat at the hands of New Zealand at the Chepauk in Chennai on Friday.

Shanto, who came in at four on the day, was one of the batters to blame as Bangladesh's first four batters were back in the hut for 56 within the 13th over of the first innings.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan and veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim tried to put a band-aid on the already dented batting effort with a 96-run stand but it wasn't enough to pull the Tigers out of their batting rut that produced yet another sorry display, managing just 245 for nine on a good surface.

"We didn't bat well, same as the last match. We need to improve in the first 15 overs. There was a bit of extra bounce with the new ball but after that the wicket was quiet. The top order needs to bat more responsibly. It was a good wicket, so we just needed to be a bit more responsible at the start," Shanto said in the post-match interview.

"In the last match, we didn't bowl well but today everyone showed their character. If they continue like this it will be very good going forward. The biggest improvement is our fast bowling, if we bat well in the next few games it will be a different ball game," he added.

The top-order tumble started with Liton Das's baffling approach that saw him charge Trent Boult on the very first delivery of the innings. The right-handed batter, who scored a fifty in his previous match, clipped it straight to deep fine-leg to continue his hit-or-miss performance at the top. 

His partner Tanzid Tamim followed soon. He chipped a full-length ball off his legs straight to Lockie Ferguson at square leg. What should've been a bread-and-butter shot for any top-order player made its way into the hands of the only fielder guarding that side of the ground. 

Next up was Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who looked impressive and at ease for his 46-ball 30 before he went out of character and tried to hook Ferguson over deep fine-leg. Not the most natural of pullers nor hookers, Miraz went for the shot against a Ferguson, who was spearing it through at an excess of 140 km/p, anyways and that too towards the longer part of the ground.

In-form Shanto couldn't help either, perishing when he scooped one to short extra cover on the very first delivery that off-spinner Glenn Phillips had bowled. 

This similar scenario managed to pull down Bangladesh's chance at a fighting total, a case that the Tigers are quite familiar with.  

Bangladesh were bundled out for 227 while chasing 364 for nine in their previous match against England in Dharamshala.
Shakib and Co take on hosts India in their next match in Pune on October 19, while New Zealand will face Afghanistan in Chennai on October 18.