Bangladesh's tour of South Africa is turning out as a nightmare to them. After losing by big margins in the Tests, they were expected to be more competitive in the 50-over format. But South Africa strolled to the biggest 10-wicket win in the series opener. The second ODI start on Wednesday. Bangladesh hasn't been undone by pace and bounce or fire and fury, but by themselves and a South African side, that has stuck to simple game plans. Therefore, it isn't impossible to find a way out of this mess.

In the Tests, Bangladesh didn't help their cause by bowling first on batsmen-friendly surfaces. In the first ODI in Kimberley, their bowling let them down. Not only did they fail to take a wicket, they also couldn't apply the slightest hint of pressure on Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock. With an inexperienced seam-bowling group that isn't getting the kind of assistance they would've liked, discipline should be their best option.

Bangladesh's batting is getting better and Mushfiqur Rahim's hundred in Kimberley provided a much-needed highlight, but they can't rely on him alone. For South Africa, things have come too easy, perhaps why it's also difficult to judge their performances. They'd like to be pushed ahead of challenging assignments against India and Australia. New coach Ottis Gibson couldn't have asked for a gentler landing. He may as well enjoy it while it lasts.

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