Bangladesh
Ireland
Bangladesh and Ireland will face each other in the 1st Test of the two-match series at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The series will be part of Ireland’s tour of Bangladesh, followed by a three-match T20I series.
Bangladesh will be led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, who has been reinstated as Test captain until the end of the current WTC cycle, while Andy Balbirnie will continue to lead Ireland.
Bangladesh will come into this match with a mixed red-ball record, winning two of their last five Tests, with one draw and two losses. Ireland, on the other hand, has shown steady progress in the format, winning three of their last five Tests since February 2024.
The two sides have faced each other only once before in Test cricket, back in 2023, when Bangladesh secured a 7-wicket victory. Both teams will aim for a strong start to the series in Sylhet.
Taijul Islam’s current form and Bangladesh’s spin-friendly home conditions make their bowlers the most likely to dominate this match.
The betting tip is...
Top Bowler’s Team - Bangladesh
60 %
40 %
BangladeshIrelandBangladesh will rely on their experienced batting lineup in this Test. Shadman Islam will open alongside Mahmudul Hasan Joy. Islam will come into this match with good form, averaging 41 in four Tests this year, including a century and a fifty.
Joy will return to the Test squad after impressive domestic performances, scoring 127 and 51 in the National Cricket League. However, his home average of 22.71 will remain a concern. Mominul Haque will bat at number three, bringing valuable experience from 73 Tests with 4627 runs, 13 centuries, and 22 fifties, 11 of which have come in Bangladesh.
Najmul Hossain Shanto will lead the side, supported by Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das. Rahim will reach 100 Tests if he plays both matches, with 6328 runs, 12 centuries, and 27 fifties. Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Ebadot Hossain, and Nahid Rana will lead the bowling attack.
Taijul, Miraz and Rana are the key bowlers in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Ebadot Hossain.
Ireland will enter the first Test with 5 debutants in their squad, making it a challenging outing to maintain their three-match winning streak. Stephen Doheny will open the innings with captain Andy Balbirnie.
Balbirnie has scored 475 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 25, while Doheny will be making his Test debut. Curtis Campher will bat at number three, having scored 342 runs in 7 Tests with one century. He had managed 35 runs in Ireland’s only Test against Bangladesh.
In the middle order, Harry Tector, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker and Andy McBrine will provide stability. Tector has 391 runs in 7 Tests, including two fifties against Bangladesh. Tucker, who has 571 runs in 7 Tests, scored a century in that match. McBrine will lead the bowling with Matthew Humphreys, Barry McCarthy and Craig Young.
Young, Campher and McCarthy are key bowlers in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Stephen Doheny, Andrew Balbirnie (c), Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young.
Bangladesh will start as favourites in Sylhet, with their spin attack expected to dominate. Taijul Islam has been in excellent form, taking 42 wickets in his last 9 Tests and also picking up 9 wickets when Ireland last toured Bangladesh. The conditions in Sylhet will suit him and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, both proven performers in home conditions.
Ireland, though confident after three consecutive Test wins, will face a very different challenge on turning tracks. Their batters have limited experience against quality spin, which could be a major concern.
With Taijul leading the charge and the home advantage strongly in Bangladesh’s favour, the hosts are well-placed to control this match and produce the top-performing bowler in the contest.
