It's no longer a one-time thing that Bangladesh have trouble winning Tests at home.  After bad series against Sri Lanka and South Africa, everyone thought the Tigers would do better against Zimbabwe in Sylhet.  Instead, the same problems showed up again: bad shot choice, lack of effort, and a batting collapse that fans have seen way too many times.

When Bangladesh batted first, they were bowled out for only 191 runs.  Zimbabwe replied by ending day 1 with 67 runs without losing. They were behind by 124 runs but still in charge.

Mohammad Salahuddin, the senior assistant coach, spoke to the reporters at the end of the day's games. He sounded cool but clearly worried.  As he said, Bangladesh's batting performance was not very good. He also said that the real problem is not a single mistake, but the fact that the same mistakes keep happening.

“Mistakes can happen. But when the same ones keep repeating, that becomes a real problem,” Salahuddin said. “We have to fix things quickly. Just sitting on these problems won’t help. We have to take action before it becomes too late.”

Salahuddin noted that Bangladesh haven’t crossed 300 runs in their last six innings — a worrying trend that raises questions about the current batting pool.

“We may need to find someone new,” he said candidly. “And when we do, we have to give them time and consistent chances. It’s not about who we don’t have, it’s about making the best of who we do.”

He emphasized that developing new batters is a long-term process, and Bangladesh can’t keep recycling the same names without building new talent.

Salahuddin also pointed to the difficulty of transitioning between formats as a key reason for poor Test performances. With players jumping straight from Dhaka Premier League (DPL) white-ball matches to the red-ball format, many are not mentally or technically prepared.

“The players have gone from playing one-day games every other day in DPL to suddenly being in a Test match environment. Without proper first-class or three-day practice matches, that transition becomes tough,” he said.

In a blunt moment, Salahuddin acknowledged that Bangladesh’s cricketing progress — or the lack of it — is being measured by how the national team performs. And currently, the signs aren’t encouraging. “We don’t have time to wait anymore. Everyone is watching. If the national team doesn’t improve, people will say our cricket hasn’t moved forward,” he added.

When asked about questionable shot selection by batters, Salahuddin didn’t point fingers but hinted that there were avoidable errors. “We haven’t had those discussions with the players yet, but from the outside, it looked like some shots weren’t necessary,” he said. “For example, the ball that [Najmul Hossain] Shanto got out to wasn’t meant to be hit. And at this level, you have to deal with balls like the one Miraz faced. Teams will always attack your weaknesses.”

Despite the poor start, Salahuddin remained hopeful for a comeback in the second innings. “That’s the thing about Test cricket — there’s always a second chance,” he said. “We’ll be counting on the batters to show their real character then.”