This week, the divergent performances of Indian batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal in Perth and the Bangladeshi batsmen in Antigua vividly underscore the disparity between the two nations' Test cricket prowess.
In the first innings of the opening Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia, Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck, having misjudged a rising delivery from Mitchell Starc. However, he quickly rectified his approach, and in the second innings, he demonstrated remarkable adaptability by scoring a splendid 161, highlighting his capacity to learn from errors and excel under pressure.
Conversely, Bangladesh's top-order batsmen—Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, and Shahadat Hossain—were repeatedly undone by the West Indies bowlers' pace tactics in both innings of the first Test. Their difficulties were particularly pronounced in the second innings, where they struggled to handle high-quality fast bowling in unfamiliar conditions.
Zakir, who had a tough time in the first innings, managed to stay at the crease until the tenth over before being bowled by Jayden Seales. On the fourth day, with Bangladesh chasing a daunting target of 334, Zakir was dismissed in the first over by Kemar Roach, falling to a similar lapse in judgement.
Joy, Zakir's opening partner, also faced challenges, edging short deliveries to the slip cordon in both innings due to poor shot selection and an inability to adjust to the bounce.
Shahadat's dismissals followed a similar pattern; he was out to a ball moving away from his body in the first innings and an angled-in delivery in the second. His failure to cope with the consistent line and length of the West Indies pacers was a significant factor in Bangladesh's struggles.
The lack of resilience from the top order placed considerable pressure on the middle order. Without the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto, the West Indies bowlers were relentless in their attack. Unlike the first innings, Mominul and Litton were unable to withstand the pressure in the second innings. The West Indies created numerous chances, and Mominul was caught and bowled by Roach off a straight drive.
Litton, who favoured the pull shot, fell into a trap set by the West Indies with short-pitched deliveries. A fielder positioned at backward square leg capitalised on another ill-judged shot, leading to Litton's dismissal on the fourth day.
While run-scoring was challenging in the first innings, Bangladesh managed to bat for 98 overs after the initial shine wore off. A declaration with one wicket remaining, just ten minutes before the start of play on the fourth day, might have caught the West Indies off guard. However, the lack of batting resistance in the second innings once again highlighted Bangladesh's shortcomings in Test cricket, despite the bowlers' commendable effort to dismiss the West Indies for 152 in their second innings.
