The dark clouds started surrounding the skies above the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur when Jaker Ali came on to bat on Wednesday.

It was symbolic for the hosts, to think that they were in deep trouble as they were reduced to 112/6 losing three three quick wickets early in the morning, still 90 runs behind South Africa’s first innings score.  An innings defeat within three days was glaring at Tigers.

Jaker didn’t have the best of the start in his Test career, getting stumped trying to slog away dancing down the wicket in his first innings.  He had a monstrous task in his hands in the second innings and to do that, he had to change his mindset first.

Mostly known for his T20 batting, Jaker actually has a good record in First-Class cricket which most fans may not be aware of.

“Test setup is different. You will see when I bat,” Jaker told the Daily Sun during an exclusive chat recently.  Playing mostly at the lower-middle order, he has scored 2862 in 49 FC matches at an average of 44.91 including four centuries and 19 half-centuries.

He caught the attention for the red-ball cricket after his 172-run innings against Pakistan Shaheens in August when Bangladesh A had an early collapse and he emerged as the saviour.  He did the same thing against South Africa on this day.

He started off slow, played balls according to their merits and when he saw chances, he took them to the fullest and eventually saved Bangladesh from blushes during his 111-ball stay.

For Jaker, shifting his gears from T20 cricket to Tests is all about mindset.

“The most important thing is mindset. Whatever format you play, if you play with proper mindset and preparation, you have a better chance of doing something good,” he said.

Jaker shifted gears well on Wednesday. He went off the mark in the seventh delivery he faced with a boundary off Keshav Maharaj with a paddle sweep before finding his next boundary in the 27th delivery as he punished Maharaj through extra cover.

But what caught everyone’s eyes was his thumping pull shot against Kagiso Rabada. By then he was already set on the crease and looking to utilise the chance he created for himself.

Jaker’s patient yet calculated approach under pressure on Wednesday exemplified the critical mindset shift required to thrive in Test cricket.  By showcasing the art of switching gears when needed, Jaker proved that even in the darkest moments, resilience can pave the way to survival.