The only Test match between Bangladesh and the visitors Ireland to start from today at the She-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium from today.
Tigers will get a big blow as their pace spearhead Taskin Ahmed ruled out from the squad when the in-form seamer got side-strain injury during last T20 match against Ireland.
Taskin got the injury three days back in the last T20 but could not come round and join in the practice sessions also. Feeling serious discomfort in leg, he failed to participate in the practice before the Test and it was known that the recovery time for the injuries is around two weeks.
Bangladesh meanwhile, called up seamer Rezaur Rahman Raza to replace Taskin into the squad.
Raza, 24 years pacer, who has experiences of playing 14 first class cricket matches and took 42 wickets, was in Test team in the past but had no chance to play.
Apart from the absence of Taskin, Bangladesh is expected to field their full strength team when led by Shakib Al Hassan, Tamim Iqbal and Ebadot Hossain have returned to the side, when the ODI and T20 opener and the fast bowler missed two-match Test series against India in December 2022.
When Bangladesh comprised their formidable squad with Litton, Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque at the top order with the captain Shakib Al Hassan, Mushfiqur Rahim coming in at the middle.
Litton Das, who regained his form against Ireland in the T20 series after a short bad patch, was the highest scorer in the Test in last year batting at lower-middle order, he may play the key batting role in the Test.
Taskin’s absence might be a big setback but it can be expected that Ebadot Hossain and youngster Mahmudul Hassan will not disappoint, as the latter tipped off with some impressive spells in the T20 series against Ireland while, Shakib Al Hassan will lead the spin line-up comprised with Mehidy Hassan Miraz and Taijul Islam.
Ireland will led by their regular captain Andy Balbirnie, who did not play the T20 series, back in the Test, their wicket keeper-batter P J Moor, former Zimbabwean Test cricketer had experiences playing against Bangladesh.
P J Moor played for Zimbabwe in the two-match series against Bangladesh in Sylhet and Dhaka when the visitors suffered defeats in both the Test when Mark Adair will lead the bowling attack with Graham Hume, Fionn Hand and Thomas Mayes in the pace department. Andy McBrine is the most experienced spinner and left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys in the side.
However, Bangladesh, experienced of playing 137 Test matches will take on Ireland, who played only three Test matches and so the Test match might be an uneven contest.
Ireland, suffered defeats all their three Test matches they played when they made their debut against Pakistan in 2018 and lost by five wickets, second Test lost to Afghanistan by seven wickets when they lost their last Test played against England in 2019 and also lost by 143 runs.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh won their 127th Test match against New Zealand last year (January 1 at Bay Oval), after that they suffered defeat eight matches in a row, to New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies and India.
Tigers also have a bitter experience of suffering defeat to the Test debutant Afghanistan in 2019 in Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh will play almost with their full strength team and Ireland will play maximum uncapped players in their team when they have only four Test experienced players, played in 2019 against England at Lord’s.
But the Tigers, will face the rookie Ireland in Test arena with full merits when they were fully high-handed in the white-ball in Sylhet and Chattogram, so it is highly expected that the Test in Dhaka will also the replication of the ODI and T20 series.
On the other hands, winning the last T20 match might be a great inspiration for Ireland before the Test match when they demonstrated some impressive performance in all department (bowling, batting and fielding).
