Five areas where Bangladesh need improvement in Test
A landslide defeat against Australia in the second Test has given Bangladesh cricket a reality check. In the last few years, the Asian nation has improved significantly and especially in home conditions, has become a force to reckon with.
However, they still have a massive distance to cover before they become one of the top nations in world cricket. As Australia displayed in the Chittagong Test, Bangladesh is competent but surely is not a dominating team in Tests.
The rise of Bangladesh across all formats is a positive development for international cricket, but the development has to continue for another few years and only then will they become a truly champion side.
We take a look at the five areas where the Bangla tigers have to focus and work hard to improve their overall game.
#5. Vulnerable batting
Great Test teams have a strong and consistent batting line-up. Importantly they don't rely on one single player to contribute. For Australia, it was Hayden, Ponting, and Martin while the unit of Smith and Kallis made South Africa a powerhouse. In the current Indian team, contributions have come from Pujara, Kohli, and Rahane.
However, for Bangladesh, the key contributors have remained the same over the years. Tamim Iqbal has been outstanding at the top of the order and Shakib Al Hasan has contributed significantly with the bat, but the rest of the batting department hasn't been that effective.
Since 2014, only three Bangladeshi batsmen average more than 40 in Tests. Apart from Tamim, Shakib, and Mushfiqur Rahim, the rest of the batting line-up lacks consistency.