Looking at a series loss through the Big Three's spectrum

One of the big five was down with injury, the rest could not live upto expectations as far as batting was concerned.

While Test and T20 skipper Shakib Al Hasan was not part of the squad, missing the New Zealand ODIs due to an injury he sustained during the Bangladesh Premier League finals, the onus was on the other three to play their part and give Tigers a major boost ahead of the upcoming Test series against the Kiwis and also the World Cup in May. However, familiar patterns resurfaced as away batting woes once again led to Tigers' demise. New Zealand swept the series 3-0 with Bangladesh yet to win a single match in New Zealand soil since they started playing international cricket.

It was another top-order batting debacle but what were interesting was the mental and technical aspects of the dismissals of the top-order batsmen, in particular Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmdullah Riyad -- three of the stalwarts from among the 'big five -- in alien conditions where Tigers always suffer.

Tigers have historically suffered in seaming conditions. During the 2017 tour of South Africa, they suffered in all formats against the Proteas. That time they could not contend with the pace and bounce and this time in New Zealand, the zip and the movement that the Kiwi bowlers extracted, ensured a torrid ODI series. Only during the West Indies tour -- with conditions and wickets that bear some resemblance to those at home -- were the Tigers able to battle, culminating in an ODI and T20 series win. The Test series was a different challenge altogether and Tigers suffered gravely at the hand of that same West Indies at the beginning of the tour.

Tamim's performance in that series was of special significance. He had played the anchor role to perfection and he hit two tons in the three-match ODI series. That created the plan for the Tigers as they went about building their innings around Tamim while late onslaughts from Mushfiqur and Riyad got Tigers to competitive scores.

Coming off the back of a blistering ton in the BPL final, his approach was vastly different in this series. Coach Steve Rhodes had previously spoken of how the BPL was a very poor preparation heading into the ODI series because of the kind of wickets in the tournament. "Let's keep that quiet from the New Zealanders that we've been playing on these wickets. It's far from ideal preparation, the way that we go straight from the BPL into ODIs in New Zealand," he had said.

That was certainly true in Tamim's case. Not only did he look like he was altogether playing a different role, he appeared to have jumbled up his game plan priorities.

In the first ODI, he was dismissed after he was unable to contend with the late movement of a terrific Trent Boult delivery, his head falling over slightly outside the line of the delivery as the ball took the edge of his bat. By the time he had went through his shot, the angle of his bat was facing mid on.

In a recent interview, Neil Mckenzie, the Bangladesh batting coach talking to The Daily Star, had touched on this point. "I think the biggest challenge is to get out of the mindset of getting on the front foot too early and [instead] try to stay on top of the ball as long as you can [in these conditions], he had said.

The second ODI also saw Tamim suffer to the same issue as he went to the front foot a bit early. It became evident that in seaming condition it is perhaps better to watch the ball closely before planting the front foot.

Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah have this manner of getting out in similar fashion during the same match. One usually follows the other in these kinds of matches. It happened in the Asia Cup final as well where they both lost their cool in a crucial point of the match.

Here, Mushfiqur -- usually the most technically-reliable of the Tigers' batsmen – had the right idea as he wanted to stay back on his crease. Bugged by injuries ahead of the ODI series, he twice dragged deliveries from outside his off-stump and saw his woodwork disturbed.

Boult dismissed him with a regular delivery in the first ODI. Bowling from wide of the crease, a left-armer's delivery leaves the batsman unless the bowler manages to get it to cut back inside. Mushy – who took guard on the leg-stump – shuffled across while staying deep inside his crease and played a loose shot away from his body to a delivery too close to his off stump. Something similar happened in the second ODI as well.

Riyad too played away from the body as he was late to judge the pace and length of Lockie Ferguson in the first ODI. He slashed at the ball on the up but the length was not there, neither was there any width to play that shot. Riyad has the tendency to be a slow mover at the start but when the feet does not move, the mind must. In neither ODIs could he apply himself to bring out his best. Little tinkering with where they take their guard could have done the trick as it's easier to contend with seaming deliveries while playing close to the body.

All three of Bangladesh's top-order batsmen had acted on their positive intent but the shot selection was poor because of their own game plans. It was about adjusting one's technical strength to the conditions in play. It appears that there was a greater need for a mental adjustment. As Mckenzie had said, 'It is a different type of game plan,' when one bats in conditions like the one New Zealand provides.

Bangladesh Cricket Board's planning for preparation was not at all adequate but the stalwarts of the side have enough experience of playing abroad now to cope with such debacles.

The three are very experienced players and ahead of the World Cup, they now have the chance to get this little adjustments sorted in order for Bangladesh to really make a mark in the coveted tournament. The pitches in Ireland, where Bangladesh play a series before the World Cup, will be perfect preparation for seaming conditions. The batting coach had said: 'Your natural game changes a bit when you travel away from home.' Mckenzie had talked about the right ideas, now the big five must come up with their own solutions. So far the positives from the series was the lower middle-order trio of Mohammad Mithun, Mohammad Saifuddin and Sabbir Ahmed being amongst the runs but with top-order failures, losing matches will be the most likely outcome.