MIRPUR: Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam claimed 5-58 for Bangladesh on Tuesday to help bowl out Ireland for 214 but two early strikes left the one-off Dhaka Test in the balance.
Bangladesh took to the crease not long after drinks and were 34-2 at stumps, with Andy McBrine sending back Tamim Iqbal for 21 on the last ball of the day.
Mark Adair bowled Najmul Hossain for a duck in the first over of the innings. Mominul Haque was unbeaten on 12 at the end of day’s play with Bangladesh trailing Ireland by 180 runs.
Harry Tector earlier top-scored with 50 for the tourists, who otherwise struggled to build partnerships after electing to bat first.
Shoriful Islam struck early to trap opener Murray Commins for five before Ebadot Hossain and Taijul scalped James McCollum (15) and Andy Balbirnie (16) respectively.
Tector, one of the six debutants for Ireland in their first Test since July 2019, put on 74 runs with Curtis Campher for the fourth wicket to steady the innings, rescuing the side from a precarious 48-3.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz bowled Tector to break the stand before Taijul made two quick strikes to dismiss Peter Moor (1) and Campher (34), derailing Ireland again.
Cameos from Lorcan Tucker (37), McBrine (19) and Adair (32) took the visitors past the 200-run mark.
Taijul trapped Adair leg-before to complete his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests and Mehidy wrapped up Ireland’s innings in the next over to finish with 2-43.
Ireland have lost all three of their previous Tests since becoming a full member of the International Cricket Council in 2017.
