Ireland aim to impress again as two-match Test series against SL beckons
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Returning to Test cricket after four years, Ireland made a solid impression in Bangladesh and are now hoping to put up a fight against Sri Lanka in Galle in the two-match Test series that begins on 16 April.
Ireland had six debutants when they took on Bangladesh in Mirpur last week, and put up a commendable performance by taking a lead in the second innings, setting Bangladesh a decent target.
While they went on to lose the match eventually, the group of Test rookies had done enough to impress Bangladesh's senior all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
"Ireland played well, we didn't expect it," Shakib said. "They showed a lot of fight, but that's their nature. They are fighters. That's what they showed to us."
Notably, one of them, Ben White, was making his first-class debut and could now be one of the two spinners that Ireland play in the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka.
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The other, Andy Balbirnie, will be a key player in these conditions, and he stepped up to the challenge in Bangladesh, taking a six-wicket haul in the first innings and making a 72 with the bat from lower down the order.
Paul Stirling will be a big addition to the Test squad for the second match of the series and Ireland will hope that they can get there with the scoreline not in favour of the hosts, as huge a task as that sounds.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, haven't won a Test series at home since 2021, with both Pakistan and Australia levelling their respective series in 2022.
They have lost four of the last eight Test matches in Galle, notably losing both their Tests to England in 2021 to concede the series.
The hosts have also rung in some changes from the squad that toured New Zealand recently and lost both Tests. That series confirmed Sri Lanka wouldn't qualify for the final of the ICC World Test Championship. They finished the cycle with five wins in 12 Tests, finishing fifth in the points table.
