Ireland leave with bittersweet feeling

Despite an almost four-year break and six debutants, Ireland put up a decent showing in their Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka although they fell short and could not eke out a result.

However, the Irish can take a lot of heart from their performance as despite falling behind, they found a way back and counter-punched to take the match to the fourth day, which left their skipper with a bittersweet feeling.

“I think after the second day, we weren’t sure if we could have a day like we did yesterday because we haven’t played Test cricket, and we haven’t played first-class cricket. So, to take it into the last innings and make Bangladesh get the runs to win is satisfying but we still lost so that’s disappointing,” Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie told The Business Post.

After scoring only 214 in the first innings, Ireland managed to restrict Bangladesh to 359 on a pitch many, including Balbirnie, have called a flat one, and then batted 116 overs in the second innings to give Bangladesh a target of 138.

However, that first innings score bothered the Irish skipper as it probably ended up being the difference.

“Batting first in these conditions you have to make it count and get a big score and that sets you up well for the game. We maybe didn’t show the application we did in the second innings. We just have to learn that stuff pretty quickly,” he said.

Ireland had several standout performers throughout the match, and Andy McBrine was one of them. The Irish off-spinner picked up six wickets in the first innings before notching up a 72 in their second innings.

“I’m quite happy that I performed personally, but a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to the three figures today, and potentially pick up a few more wickets there on the chase, but hopefully more to come now,” the all-rounder seemed a bit dissatisfied talking to The Business Post.

Another one of Ireland’s standout performers was Lorcan Tucker, who became the only second Irishman to have a Test hundred.

“So thrilled for him (Tucker). Over the last 18 months, he has come into his own and that was arguably as good a hundred as I’ve seen in an Irish shirt, Kevin (O’Brien)’s first hundred is up there but yesterday he counter-punched and it was an amazing effort having kept for 70-80 overs, his body wasn’t used to that, and having not played a Test,” Balbirnie said in the post-match press conference.

Ireland will now head over to Sri Lanka to play a two-match Test series, their first-ever, and the Ireland skipper accepted that they were leaving with more experience than they came with ahead of those matches.

“We are as prepared as we can possibly be (for Sri Lanka) with a Test match in the sub-continent under our belts. If we were going into two Tests against Sri Lanka with no red-ball cricket, let alone Test cricket, it would be very challenging,” Balbirnie said.