Early in his innings, the viewer does not always share that confidence. He plays a single airy drive, followed by one or two shadow leaves. Then he leaves the ball a few times, before pushing one through the slips or driving it up past the point. When his team is tottering at 26 for 6 or 112 for 6, your nerves are in tatters.

Once you get used to Mehidy’s batting – scratchy at first before quickly gaining strength – you understand the confidence he exudes. His footwork and strokeplay are assured. An air of calm descends, much-needed in a Bangladesh batting team that continues to collapse.

This situation was no different. Bangladesh were fortunate that they had Jaker, a debutant but a specialist batsman, to join Mehidy. The seventh-wicket pair didn’t look scratchy for long and quickly grasped the pace of the wicket. Jaker later said they knew they didn’t have to do too much, just stay and settle at the crease.

“It was a crucial moment in the morning, we had lost three quick wickets,” Jaker told the host broadcaster T-Sport. “We planned to bat normally. We didn’t want to think about what had just happened. We just tried to stick to our process. We didn’t want to rush things. Our plan was simple. I’m a specialist hitter, but I ben He struck down the command. He believed in me.”

Jaker has a strong reputation as a middle-order batsman in domestic cricket but was under pressure after a rash dismissal in the first innings. It had been on his mind, something Mushfiqur had picked up on the second night at the team hotel. Mushfiqur reassured Jaker, and Jaker reminded himself of the senior pro’s words as he batted in the second innings. He made 58 off 111 balls and hit seven fours.

“(Reaching fifty) was a special moment, especially as this was my first Test,” Jaker said. “Mushfiq bhai really reassured me last night. He said don’t worry about the runs. I only made two in the first innings so he told me to enjoy my Test debut. He kept telling me to fight my own lawsuit. If I step out of my own process, everything will be fine. This was my plan. I wanted to stick to my plan, and when I get out, everything will be fine.”

Mehidy had told Jaker something else.

“He just told me we’re going to have a great partnership,” Jaker said. “Just stay focused. Hit normally.’ I think we were mentally ready for it, and then we enjoyed the pressure moment.”

That wasn’t arrogance on Mehidy’s part, just the confidence of a man who has seen this situation happen before. Mehidy is aware of the vulnerability of this top six in Bangladesh and knows how important he is with the bat.

Mehidy is reaping the benefits of a long training period in May and June, when he was not involved in Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup campaign or its build-up. He also got the chance to have an off-season in July and August before the tour of Pakistan. He didn’t score too many runs in the two Tests in India, but he remains in good form, as Dhaka has shown.

Thanks to the last of them, Bangladesh stands with 81 leaders at the end of day three in Dhaka, while Mehidy is still in trouble. Some rain is forecast, but if he can coax the last three wickets to extend that lead to at least 150, Bangladesh can start hoping again. It’s a bit far-fetched, but if anyone in this lineup can pull off such a feat, it will most likely be Mehidy.