From Perth to Antigua, a visible gulf in quality

This week, what Yashasvi Jaiswal did at Perth and what the Bangladesh batters failed to do in Antigua could be enough to realise why the two countries are on opposite sides of the spectrum in Test cricket.

After edging a Mitchell Stac delivery to gully to be dismissed for an eight-ball naught in the first innings of the opening Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia, Jaiswal realised what he had done wrong -- driving on the up at a rising delivery -- and amended his methods in the space of just one innings in such a way that the left-handed opener went on to score a brilliant 161 in the second innings.

On the other hand, three of Bangladesh's top-order batters -- Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, and Shahadat Hossain -- fell victim to identical set-ups or similar pace ploys of the West Indies pacers in both innings in the first of the two Tests.

Top-order was the biggest concern heading into the Antigua Test and the second innings in particular saw a familiar lack of application on foreign conditions against quality fast bowling.

Zakir had struggled in the first innings but was able to contend with the new ball till the 10th over. The one going across him from Jayden Seales seamed in just enough to produce the bottom edge and crash onto his stumps in that innings. On Day 4, with the Tigers beginning an uphill task of chasing 334, Zakir was done by a similar shot in the very first over -- this time by Kemar Roach from around the wicket.

Zakir's bat once again came down at an angle which led to yet another inside edge crashing onto his stumps.

The case was similar for Zakir's opening partner Joy. The right-hander edged short of a length deliveries to the slip cordon in both innings, either due to poking at the cherry or not being able to contend with the bounce.

Shahadat, meanwhile, fell to a ball that went away from the body in the first innings and then to an angled-in delivery in the second -- but the similarity in his failure lies in the fact that he failed to figure out a way to survive longer against pacers who were constantly using similar lengths, trying to generate movement and bounce off the pitch.

The inability of at least one of the top-order batters to come up with some resistance put the pressure squarely back on the middle order, just like it did in the first innings. And, without the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto, the Windies attack came hard at the rest.

However, unlike the first innings, Mominul and Liton in the middle order could not survive for long. In the second innings, the Windies created chance after chance and Mominul fell to a straight-drive, caught and bowled by Roach.

Liton, meanwhile, was favouring the pull shot, and the trap was once again set for him with short deliveries. A fielder at backward square leg was put there for a particular shot and another short arm pull resulted in Liton's dismissal on Day 4.

Run-scoring had been difficult in the first innings too but cooler heads had prevailed after the shine was taken off a bit by Mominul and Co which allowed the Tigers to play 98 overs.

A declaration with a wicket remaining, just 10 minutes before the start of play on the fourth day, might have caught Windies batters a bit off-guard but with such batting resistance as was showcased in the second innings, Bangladesh's Test merits have once again come under the cosh despite bowlers' impressive performance to bowl Windies out for 152 in the second innings.