Jaker Ali is finding his feet in red-ball cricket

There were many eyebrows raised when Jaker Ali was included in the starting XI for the first Test against South Africa.

A player who primarily has a simple 'see the ball, hit the ball' technique, particularly suited to white-ball cricket, has been included in a format that requires solid technique and a lot of attrition and patience.

At first glance, it didn't seem like a good fit, and that only got worse when he was out for just two runs in the first innings.

But with Bangladesh 112-6, Kagiso Rabada bowling with fire and Keshav Maharaj spinning a net around the batters, the hosts needed a hero.

Luckily they found two as Jaker and Mehidy Hasan Miraz repelled the early threat and tried to expose a South African attack without a fifth bowling option.

The overcast skies meant conditions were favorable for pace bowling and there was a hint of extra bounce in the air.

Add to that the fact that this was a typical Mirpur surface and offered plenty of curve and support for the spinners, which largely explains why three quick wickets fell and how hard the batting was here.

“I wanted to focus on my processes when I came to bat. I couldn't manage to get a score in the first innings and I wanted to do better here. Luckily I watched the ball, played it late and went for it. “It helped that we were able to stay behind more,” Jaker told The Business Standard after the day’s match.

However, it was play to a ball that he should have played with his front foot that ultimately led to Jaker being sent off against Maharaj.

Hasan Mahmud has previously said that a lead of around 200 would be enough for the bowlers' defence.

Jaker felt they could get a lead of 150 with the remaining batting line-up: “With Miraz there, we can still hope for a lead of around 150 and let's see what happens.”

“Had I not been out, I am sure we could have managed to avoid the 200-run lead,” he added.

The 138-run partnership between Jaker and Miraz was the highest of any wicket in this Test so far and Bangladesh's highest 7th wicket partnership.

It's still early days for Jaker in Test cricket and he still has a long way to go in this format, but playing him as an extra batsman has certainly paid off in this instance.