DHAKA, Oct 31, 2024 (BSS) - Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto found the side's vulnerability in both mindset and skill that resisted their improvement in Test cricket. 

After winning a historical series in Pakistan, Bangladesh's Test cricket is believed to go upward but it took a huge nosedive after meek surrender against India and South Africa.

While India on their home ground was almost invincible, a defeat at the hands of an inexperienced South African side left Bangladesh huge soul searching. 

"Very disappointed how we played. It's poor batting performances overall. I think we need to improve a lot of things," Shanto told the reporters in Chattogram after his side's shambolic innings and 273-run defeat.

"We bowled well for a few hours, but overall we need to improve. It's not about just mental. It is mental and skillwise. We need to improve in both."

South Africa declared their innings at 575-6, thanks to three batters getting centuries and in reply, Bangladesh's top order crumbled in horrible fashion. They were bowled out for 159 in the first innings and were enforced to follow-on. 

And in the second innings too, they were all out in less than two sessions to be dismissed for 143. Overall they lost 16 wickets in a single day to lose the second Test inside three days. 

"Our top order has been going through a lean patch for a long time. Sometimes we are doing well individually but we couldn't put up team performance," Shanto said.

'In Pakistan, when Mominul hit centuriy no one gave him the support. When Shadman scored 90, he didn't get support from other end. In Pakistan at one phase we were reduced to 26-6 but we won thanks to lower order and bowlers' resistance. You can't expect to win if the top order continue to fail," Shanto said, adding that his poor performance also affected the team.

"It is important for me to score runs and contribute but I also have been in poor form. I couldn't convert my good start to big knock. I was repeatedly being dismissed in between 20 to 40s, which did harm to the team," he admitted.

He laid emphasis on top order's responsibility to hit back to winning way in Test cricket.

"Taijul's bowling was a positive. Mominul showed character in the first innings. Those are positives but we need to improve," Shanto said. 

"That sort of character we need in the team. The way someone like Taijul batted, got a hundred partnership, it shows we can bat. Now as a top order we need to take responsibility."