“We saw what Zimbabwe did here earlier in the year, and we had just played Zimbabwe. So, we can look at those performances and take a bit of confidence,” Balbirnie said.
However, he admitted Bangladesh remain strong favourites at home.
“But at the same time, we can't really just expect it to happen; we've got to come out and play good cricket… we've got to be very disciplined,” he stated.
The Irish captain also suggested the gap between the two sides is smaller than before.
“I don't think we're going to be favourites in this series, but I think the gap is a bit closer than maybe when we played the last Test match here.”
Balbirnie avoided making assumptions about the pitch despite experience in Sylhet.
“I never try to get too caught up with the wickets… a lot of times I’ve thought a wicket will do something, and it’s done something different,” he said.
“They seem to have taken a bit more grass off…but that’s all part of playing away from home.”
He remains hopeful Ireland can adjust quickly; “The three Test matches we've won, two have been away from home… whatever we do, bat or bowl first, we’ll be able to adapt quickly.”
