Even after the barrage that had followed the horrendous performance of the Test series, the first ODI performance bought even more criticism. The Tigers crashed to a 70-run defeat despite restricting the much-vaunted Sri Lanka batting to only 234.

A column in a local newspaper on Sunday even suggested in no uncertain terms that the Bangladesh batsman go back to school to learn first technique and then temperament following their shoddy showing in the first ODI.

The columnist found only Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful and young wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim as technically correct batsmen but the problem, he suggested was, that the former hardly applies common sense about his shot selections.

And the reality is that the Bangladesh top-order has to put a price on their wicket otherwise it would be the same old story in the second game.

The Bangladesh team think-tank also believed that everything would depend on the top-order batsmen.

"Our planning is all but the same for the second match and now everything will depend on the top batsmen. I am hopeful that they will bounce back from the disappointing show in the series," was the response of Bangladesh interim coach Shaun Williams.

National selector Akram Khan, who is touring with the side, also said that only the batsmen can save them from more blushes in the series.

"There has been much talk about the batting and what more can I say about it. What I can do is only hope that they will show their potential in the last two games to give some solace. All depends on the batsmen," said the frustrated former Bangladesh skipper."We set a plan not to lose too many wickets in first twenty overs but I don't know whether it will work or not," he added.

The Bangladesh team management has also decided that they will promote Mushfiqur Rahim in the batting order if needed because the young stumper gave the impression in the series that he has got the quality to build up a partnership.

Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful however expressed his optimism, like he always does, about his team's turnaround in the series.

"I know there have been questions raised about our ability but what I can say is that we have proved earlier that we have the ability to win one-day matches. I don't want to say more because people are already disappointed by our performance but I have the self-confidence that we can still win both the matches against Sri Lanka," said the right-hander, who was criticized heavily after the way he got out in the first match.

But what the scathing columnist mentioned about the Bangladesh batsmen was that "You can't teach an old dogs, new tricks" and now the challenge is up to Ashraful's men to prove him wrong.