Galle [Sri Lanka], April 14 : Ireland showed a good display in Test cricket after spending four years away from the format and the team will be keen to replicate their display against Bangladesh in the Test series against Sri Lanka.
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."
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.
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 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.
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 brought 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.
Squads
Sri Lanka (first Test only): Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya De Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Nishan Madushka (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Dushan Hemantha, Lasith Embuldeniya, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Milan Rathnayake.
Ireland: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Murray Commins, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Tom Mayes, Andrew McBrine, James McCollum, Paul Stirling (only for 2nd Test), PJ Moor, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White.
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