Pic: Cricket Ireland / Kim Shad
Ireland batter Harry Tector has urged his teammates to keep an open mind when assessing the conditions in Sylhet during the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh.
The European side face the difficult prospect of taking on Bangladesh away from home, with spin expected to play a major role in determining which team comes out on top during the two-Test series that commences on Tuesday.
It’s getting closer… #TestCricket#BackingGreen #FailteSolar ☘️🏏 pic.twitter.com/1SkMhIlMNJ
While Tector acknowledged the quality of Bangladesh's spin attack, the Ireland right-hander said it was important his fellow batters didn't place too much emphasis on this fact alone.
“Everyone seems to have a take on what the pitches will be like in Bangladesh, but I think you can get caught up in that too much," Tector said.
"I think it's important as players – and particularly as batters – to just assess conditions on the morning of the game, what it looks like, what it's like overhead. Once you're out there reacting to what you think the pitch is doing you that the practice you’ve put in is going to hold you in good stead for whatever the conditions and the bowlers dictate to you.
"I think you have to be prepared for everything. I'm not too concerned with what they produce. I back us to perform on it and, hopefully, out-perform them on those wickets.”
SIX: Harry Tector smashes a short delivery | T20WC 2022
Tector made his Test debut in Bangladesh when contributing a pair of half-centuries during a seven-wicket loss to the Shakib Al Hasan-led side back in 2023 and has since played a further six red-ball contests for his country as the side become more accustomed to the rigours of Test cricket.
Ireland have won their three most recent Test match appearances, with the side defeating Zimbabwe by 63 runs during a one-off Test in Bulawayo in February where Tector failed to make much of an impact with the bat and all-rounder Andy McBrine led the way with an unbeaten 90 in the first innings and four wickets for the match.
Ireland win the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo 👏
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It has Ireland primed to continue their winning run in Bangladesh, although Tector knows the Asian side will prove a difficult prospect to topple across the two-match series.
“It's only our second time to play a multi-Test series, so we're all looking forward to that. And I think there's a very big amount of pride and motivation in the group. Coming off, three Test wins in a row, we just need to keep putting markers down to know that we're competing and performing at the highest level of cricket," Tector said.
“I think everyone is under no illusions of how hard this series is going to be against Bangladesh in their own conditions. I think if you look at it, any team that wins away in Bangladesh has played really, really well.
"And so we know it's going to be difficult, but I think everyone's really excited to go out there and we have the confidence in the group to know that if we do the right things – with the bat and the ball and take our catches in the field – that we can produce results in Test cricket.”
Ireland Test squad: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Curtis Campher, Cade Carmichael, Stephen Doheny, Gavin Hoey, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Liam McCarthy, Paul Stirling, Jordan Neill, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young
Series schedule:
First Test: November 11-15, Sylhet
Second Test: November 19-23, Dhaka
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