The most significant aspect of a disappointingly one-sided day's play was how England imposed themselves on Bangladesh with a ruthlessness that would not have disgraced Australia.

It is an important comparison because England know that to front up to the world's number one side later this summer they must iron out any lingering elements of softness in their psyche. That means performing at the highest level in every session of every Test match, and it means stamping callously on adversaries when they are down, two goals achieved admirably on the first day.

In bowling out Bangladesh for 108 in 38.2 overs, then rattling up 188-1 from 45, there was not the slightest hint all day of a slackening of intent. The will to dominate, to overwhelm even, was evident in everything this impressive England side did.

England's seam attack was focused and aggressive. Matthew Hoggard shaped his outswinger well all day, but found the optimum line in the afternoon session, during which he also dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim with his recently acquired magic nip-backer; Andrew Flintoff bowled well within himself, but was in control and found awkward bounce; and the underrated Simon Jones merited more than his six accurate and penetrating overs. There were simply not enough spoils to go around and the pecking order meant that Hoggard and Harmison had first bite.

Best of all, and most importantly, in view of his poor tour of South Africa, was Harmison's encouraging performance. In the morning he did not get it quite right and interspersed stray balls with thunderbolts, but playing Bangladesh has the virtue of allowing England's bowlers to hone their games without too much opposition, and he was gradually able to find his rhythm and control.

After lunch, Harmison rocked confidently to the crease, unleashing several balls that flattered a Bangladesh line-up totally out of its depth against his pace and bounce. The resurgence of the Durham man's self-belief was a marvellous contrast to his slump-shouldered despair in South Africa. Equally stirring was the sight of Mashrafe Mortaza backing away timorously from Harmison's fastest deliveries until his stumps were shattered by a full-pitched yorker.

England's batsmen were also allowed to play themselves into form and Trescothick (78*) was especially impressive. It was difficult to believe he has suffered a slump in form for Somerset as he drove sweetly through cover and pulled powerfully through midwicket.

Strauss had begun more circumspectly, searching for form, but then began to unfurl his favourite cover drives and pulls, hitting the debutant Shahadat Hussain out of the attack with four fours in one over. He will be disappointed to have fallen for 69, just short of the major score he wanted, lbw to an inswinging full-pitched ball from Mortaza, who was easily the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers.

Playing their first Test at Lord's, Bangladesh will be dejected after crumbling so visibly against the hard professionalism of England. Of course, their immature and inexperienced players were put under so much pressure that they contributed to their own dismissals. Aftab Ahmed swung the bat wildly in a cameo of 20 in 14 balls but his cavalier batting was doomed to self-destruct; Mohammad Ashraful (6) and Khaled Mashud (6) were both lbw after suffering from bouts of the jitters and padding up to straight balls; and Mohammad Rafique lost his wicket to a nervy run-out.

Only two Bangladesh players showed real cool-headedness: opener Javed Omar, who made 22 obdurate runs, and 16 year old Rahim, who rode his luck against Harmison, but refused to throw it away. But little can be expected of a side fielding so many players with virtually no first-class experience. Rahim, on debut, was playing in his fourth first-class game; 19-year-old Ahmed was playing his fourth Test and sixth first-class game; 18-year-old Shahadat Hossain was in his first Test and fifth first-class game, and Anwar Hossain was in his second Test and 22nd first-class game.

What these players desperately need before being thrust into the potentially confidence-sapping environment of Test cricket is more experience of different conditions. This does not have to be in first-class cricket as English league cricket, for example, has helped in the development of several world-class players, including Yousuf Youhana, VVS Laxman and Naved-ul-Hasan, all of whom honed their skills and personal maturity by playing in the Bradford League.

The contrast with Andrew Strauss is particularly painful to contemplate as here is a man with a deep understanding of his qualities and limitations as a batsman, developed over many seasons in county cricket. Strauss was hardly an overnight discovery at the age of 27, whereas the precocious 16-year-old Rahim and his bowling counterpart, Shahadat Hossain, are being asked to learn about themselves in the Test arena, potentially counter-productive to their development as cricketers.

England: Bangladesh: Habibul Bashar (capt), Javed Omar, Nafees Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed, Mushfiqur Rahim, Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahadat Hossain, Anwar Hossain Monir.

26 May, 2005