Bangladesh vs Ireland One-off Test: BAN vs IRE Head to Head, Playing XI, Preview, Where to Watch on TV, Online, and Live Streaming Details

Bangladesh and Ireland will lock horns in the only one-off Test scheduled to commence on Tuesday, April 4 at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

Published - 03 Apr 2023, 14:43 IST | Updated - 03 Apr 2023, 14:43 IST

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Following a successful conclusion of the white-ball series, Bangladesh will now lock horns with Ireland in one-off Test match, scheduled to commence on Tuesday, April 4. While the white-ball series was held in Chittagong, the Test will be played at Dhaka's iconic Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh exploited the home conditions and inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Ireland in the T20 series. After comprehensively winning the first couple of games, they were stunned by Ireland in the third and final T20I which turned out to be a low-scoring affair as Ireland comfortably chased down the 125-run target with 7 wickets to spare.

All eyes are now set on the solitary Test match between both the teams which, historically happens to be the first-ever Test between the two teams. While Bangladesh made their Test debut in 2000, Ireland entered the Test ranks in 2018, playing their first match in the whites against Pakistan. Notably, Ireland last played a Test in 2019, and only five players in the current Test squad hold red-ball experience. Thus, as many as ten players are going to feature in their debut Test squad against the Bangla Tigers for the solitary Test.

Ireland's regular skipper Andy Balbirnie, who had taken a break from the T20 series, will come back to lead the team in the Test, which would certainly bolster their playing XI. They will also be seen acquiring the services of former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-turned-Irish cricket PJ Moor, who has the experience of featuring in 8 Test matches.

Bangladesh are going to plant a full-strength squad with most of the key players getting retained for the Test series. Tamim Iqbal and Ebadot Hossain will make their comeback to the Test side after missing the Tests against India. Young sensation Zakir Khan, however, has been put to rest after sustaining an injury in the left thumb.

Pitch & Conditions

Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla stadium is known to provide balanced playing conditions with tricks on offer for both spinners as well as batters. Generally considered to be a breeding ground for spinners, the venue, surprisingly, boasts an average first-innings total of 446 in the last seven Tests. The pitch generally stays good throughout five days, but does offer variations to spinners on account of the dry conditions. Although Dhaka has experienced infrequent spells of rain, the pitch is mostly expected to remain dry for the historic Test. Top-layer weathering makes batting in the last two days a bit difficult, which can be well exploited by the spinners.

Probable Playing XIs for BAN vs IRE, 1st Test:

Bangladesh

Bangladesh will look to register a turn of fortunes after having sustained losses in the last 5 matches. For Bangladesh, Litton Das has been a rather consistent performer and Bangladesh's lineup will only be strengthened by the comeback of Tamim Iqbal.

Probable Playing XI: Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das (wk), Mominul Haque, Shakib al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain.

Ireland

Ireland, who played their last Test in 2019, are devoid of experience as only four of the current members of Test squad have prior experience to their name. Andy Balbirnie, who is making a comeback after being rested for the white-ball series, will be a key feature of the Irish batting lineup. All-rounder George Dockrell and wicketkeeper Peter Moor will have to bring in their experiences if the side is to leave an impact in the match.

Probable Playing XI: Murray Commins, James McCollum, Andy Balbirnie, Harry Tector, George Dockrell, Peter Moor, Curtis Campher, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Mark Adair, Andy McBrine, Graham Hume