Is it unusual to see Bangladesh’s top-order crumble in a Test match? If statistics are taken into consideration, it shouldn’t be the case.

Bangladesh have lost three or more wickets before 50 runs 15 times in the last 37 innings they played since 2022.

The top-order batting has always been a concern for Tigers and it was no different against South Africa on the opening day of the opening Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Monday.

South African bowlers were all over Bangladesh in the morning of the first Test, leaving them six down, courtesy of Wiaan Mulder and Kagiso Rabada.

For extra movement off the surface, the pacers utilised the grass cover while also finding early swing coupled by the fact the hosts failed to control their temptation, either chasing wide ball or trying to roll the wrist when playing straight bat would have been a safer option.

Mulder brought the first breakthrough when Shadman Islam chased a ball that was pitched outside the off-stump instead of leaving it and since then wickets fell like a pack of cards.

Both Mominul Haque and Najmul Hossain have only themselves to blame for playing across the line and furthermore rolling their wrist.

South Africa reviewed the first ball for lbw against Mominul and he was lucky to survive as ball-tracking wasn't available due to internet issues but that was short lived after the southpaw nicked Mulder two balls later playing across the line.

Mulder earned the third wicket by setting up Najmul as he bowled the first four deliveries from over the wicket before coming around the wicket for the fifth ball and got the leading edge of the skipper as he tried to work it through the mid-wicket. Both the batters decided to take the risk of playing across the line against moving deliveries and paid the price for it.

Rabada joined the party and became the sixth South African bowler to reach 300 Test wickets by removing Mushfiqur Rahim with a brilliant delivery that went past the gate. Liton Kumer Das was out trying to slash a delivery of Rabada that was brilliantly taken by Tristan Stubbs at gully. It seemed the hosts’ back was against the wall that has often been the case in the recent past.

While Bangladesh’s top order failed to negotiate the pacers, Mehidy Hasan and debutant Jaker Ali could not handle the spin of Keshav Maharaj as the former could not assess the arm ball and the latter was stumped trying to release the pressure by whacking him.

Mahmudul Hasan, who seemed to be the only one playing with some purpose making 30 off 97 balls, paid the price of cutting a short ball bowled by Dane Piedet that he missed.

Many pointed out fingers on the wicket, though Taijul begged to differ.

“Nothing is fair when a team plays badly whether it’s a good wicket or a bad wicket. Playing good cricket is important. Conditions can be different. You definitely won’t get low wickets in New Zealand or South Africa, or even totally a flat wicket won’t be there as well,” said Taijul.

“There will be some movements. There’s no point blaming the wicket. Whether we are playing good or bad cricket, that’s important. It would have been good if we had scored 200 to 250 runs,” he added.

“Honestly, we didn’t score enough. If we could score 200-220-250, maybe the match would be in our hands, probably still is, but now we have to do much better. Hopefully, the batters will do well in the next innings and we will make a comeback,” Taijul concluded.