Despite Losing Joy and Muminul, Bangladesh Holds 161-Run Lead After First Session

At the end of the first session on the third day of the Sylhet Test, Bangladesh reached 447 for 4, taking a 161-run lead over Ireland in the first innings.

The day began with Mahmudul Hasan Joy on 169 and Muminul Haque on 80, both unbeaten. However, an early setback came for the Tigers as Joy was caught by Tucker for 171. The opener narrowly missed out on a double century on his birthday.

Muminul Haque couldn’t go much further either, as he was dismissed LBW by a perfect delivery from Barry McCarthy for 82. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto then came to the crease and immediately set a One-Day-like aggressive tone, while experienced Mushfiqur Rahim provided support from the other end. Together, they steadily pushed Bangladesh’s total forward.

The partnership was broken when Mushfiqur fell for 23. Liton Das followed to the crease, supporting Shanto, who continued his assertive batting. Shanto remained unbeaten on 60 off 69 balls, including 10 fours, while Liton was unbeaten on 19.

For Ireland, Barry McCarthy and Matthew Humphreys have taken two wickets each so far.

At this stage of Bangladesh’s innings, it’s clear that the batsmen’s controlled aggression has put the team in a strong position. With a substantial lead in the first innings, the Tigers are now well on their way to taking control of the match.