Ireland up for Test challenge

Ireland will be playing their first Test in nearly four years when they take on Bangladesh in the lone Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur from today, with the challenge for the visitors being how they adapt to the longest version of cricket, a format almost none of the current Irish side have featured in.

According to skipper Andrew Balbirnie, the biggest challenge for the visitors, who are also shorn of first-class experience, will be adjusting to conditions against a team that have been especially dominant on home soil in recent times.

"I think [the challenge will be] just the longevity. A lot of our guys don't have a huge amount of first-class experience. Five-day Tests are very different. A lot of our guys have been brought up on white-ball cricket. A batter has to set himself to bat for as long as possible. Bowlers have to be as disciplined as possible," Balbirnie told the media ahead of the Test on Tuesday.

"That's going to be the biggest challenge. Conditions will play a part in terms of the heat. These guys need to learn on the job. It is an exciting group. Certainly get the whites back on, dust off the white pads. We know how good Bangladesh are in Test cricket, particularly here. It will be challenging but exciting."

Ireland, who are yet to register a win in the three Tests that they have played so far, have a number of debutants waiting in the ranks for the game today and so decided to complete the cap presentation formalities yesterday.

"It has not happened many times in recent history but there's going to be a lot of Test debuts. It only happens to new nations. It would have happened to Bangladesh in the early 2000s. We are going to have a bit of a get-together tonight to do some presentations. I think if we do it in the morning, it will take too long.

"A lot has happened. We have been through a pandemic. There's been so many changes. Players have gone, players have come in. It was a memorable occasion in 2019 for a lot of Irish cricket people. This is memorable as well. This is a big cricketing nation, playing against a top team. A lot of good teams have come here and got unstuck. The message is to go out and play, not hold too many fears. There's not a lot to lose in a one-off Test. So, we want to enjoy it," he said.