Captain Mohammad Ashraful has already said that they need some time to adjust to the approach they have been working on since the new team management took over.

It seems that the cricketers are in a complete conundrum after first innings debacles in both the Tests, which saw them being dismissed for 89 and then 62, the lowest-ever total for them.

So, have the Tigers been playing the five-day game with any other approach?

Spending as much time as possible in the middle is the 'mantra' of Test cricket but suddenly and surprisingly, it has become a new thing for the team as new captain Ashraful, who salvaged some pride with a splendid 129* in the second Test that ended on Thursday, demanded that the way they have been thinking on the issue, also in practice, was something new in his career.

He added that the cricketers are trying to overcome the tendency of playing too many shots like they do in one-day cricket and believed that it worked just a little in the last two games despite the fact that they were dismissed quickly.

The reality is that there was a lack of balancing act for most of the batsmen, opener Shahriar Nafees being an example with scores of 15, 38, 0, and 20. It looks like the Bangladeshi batsmen have also failed to swiftly coordinate brainwork with their eye and feet during batting.

Sometimes they were bogged down and at times appeared far too ambitious with their shots but at least young Mushfiqur Rahim with his polished 80 on Thursday showed the way of surviving against a world-class attack.

Everybody is aware of Ashraful's ability but what the teenage wicketkeeper did is a sight for sore eyes. The way he batted has not only impressed his teammates, but also the local media.

Former Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar is highly impressed by Rahim's batting and said that the innings showed that one should score runs to survive at this level.

"He played a very controlled innings. It was a brilliant knock but what impressed me most was the way he coped with pressure. His career is all about pressure because he always has to fight with someone like Khaled Mashud for his place as a wicketkeeper.

He showed that scoring runs is also important to settle in the middle," said Bashar yesterday at the team hotel.

The 34-year-old Bashar is under tremendous pressure as he came here with a mission to rediscover his long lost form but has so far scored only 36 runs (2, 17, 5, 12) in four innings which is not only one of the main reasons behind the team's batting blues but something that has also jeopardised his career.

The most successful Test batsman of the country was also in a dilemma with the new attitude of the team.

"Yes, I tried to change my natural game which meant that I avoided my favourite pull and hook shots in the initial stages. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked. I have gone through such a long bad patch in my career. I am confused whether to play my natural game or not because I have been successful with my natural batting," said Bashar, who has three hundreds and 22 half-centuries under his belt.

"Everybody should occupy the crease but scoring runs is also important. I think I have to punish the bad balls. Actually I tried to change my batting because the Sri Lankans know my style. I have to bat more like Mushfiqur and Ashraful," he explained.

"I believe that everything will be okay once I get a big score. I have started confidently in every innings but suddenly got out. I am not worried about my future but it's a bad feeling not to contribute for the team."

Ashraful and Mushfiqur have already shown the way and now it is a challenge for the other top-order batsmen to follow their footsteps to avoid further embarrassment in the third and final Test, which starts at the picturesque hill-station of Kandy from July 11.