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Published : 11 Nov 2025, 11:59 PM
Bangladesh’s spinners seized control late on the first day of the opening Test, as Ireland crumbled to 270 for 8 after a bright start.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz grabbed three wickets, while debutant left-arm spinner Hasan Murad added two crucial scalps, ensuring the visitors’ middle and lower order faltered under pressure at the Academy Ground of the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Ireland had begun confidently, with Paul Stirling and debutant Cade Carmichael putting together a 96-run second-wicket partnership.
Opening for just the second time in Tests, Stirling made a commanding 60, striking 7 of his 9 boundaries square on the off-side, while Carmichael looked composed in his first Test innings, finishing with a polished 59.
Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker also made promising contributions in the forties, and 19-year-old Jordan Neill impressed with his unbeaten 30 late in the day.
Bangladesh’s breakthrough came after a patient wait of half an hour in the last session.
Campher, who hit 4 fours including 2 sixes in his 44, was Murad’s first Test wicket, caught at slip. Murad then deceived Tucker with flight, stumping him for 41.
Miraz got the big wicket of Andy McBrine, stumped for 5. Ireland’s fightback came through an eighth-wicket stand between Neill and Barry McCarthy, who added 48 runs, but the former fell on the final ball of the day.
Bangladesh had let several early chances slip in the morning.
Stirling was dropped twice at slip and gully, while Taijul Islam spilt Carmichael at short square-leg between overs four and seven. Despite this, Stirling and Carmichael negotiated the tricky period, finding boundaries regularly -- especially Stirling through backward point, while Carmichael remained cautious, hitting 3 boundaries.
Ireland began losing momentum in the middle session. Nahid Rana removed the set Stirling in the first over after lunch, caught at second slip, and Miraz trapped Harry Tector lbw for one.
Carmichael reached fifty off 110 balls, while Najmul Hossain Shanto dropped Tucker on 11 late in the second session.
Ireland 1st Innings: 270/8 in 90 overs
(Balbirnie 0, Stirling 60, Carmichael 59, Tector 1, Campher 44, Tucker 41, McBrine 5, Neill 30, McCarthy 21*; Hasan 12-4-32-1, Nahid 14-0-65-1, Taijul 21-6-72-1, Murad 20-5-47-2, Miraz 23-6-50-3)
