Bangladesh continued their strong position in the first Test against Ireland on the third day. They resumed at 338 for 1, with Mahmudul Hasan Joy on 169* and Mominul Haque on 80*. Ireland immediately took the new ball, with Craig Young leading the attack.
Joy and Mominul were aiming for big milestones, but both fell short. Joy was dismissed for 171 off 286 balls, edging a delivery from Barry McCarthy to keeper Lorcan Tucker. Mominul Haque followed soon after, falling for 82 off 132 balls when McCarthy’s delivery bounced and caught him in front of the stumps.
After their dismissals, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim took charge of the innings. Shanto, the Bangladesh captain, played aggressively, driving the fuller deliveries and pulling the shorter ones. He reached his sixth Test fifty in just 52 balls, producing an innings more like an ODI performance.
Mushfiqur Rahim, however, fell for 23, edging a delivery from Andy McBrine to second slip. His dismissal suggested that the ball was beginning to turn more, creating challenges for the batters.
By lunch, Shanto was unbeaten on 61 off 69 deliveries, while Litton Das supported him with 19* off 24 balls. Bangladesh reached 447 for 4 at the end of the first session, holding a 161-run lead over Ireland.
