Harry Tector is hoping to extend his personal run of form in Bangladesh this week as Ireland go in search of a fourth Test victory in a row at Sylhet, in the first of a two-match mini-series.

Tector made a half-century in each innings on debut in Dhaka in 2023 in what was the first and, until tomorrow, the only time the two sides have met in a five-day game.

“I’ve certainly got fond memories of playing here, and I’ve enjoyed success, not just in Test cricket, but in the other formats as well,” Tector said. after Ireland’s 15-strong squad arrived from a training camp Dubai.

“Making my Test debut with so many of the other guys [after Covid] was exciting. Scoring runs in that game was nice too, but I would have liked to have converted one of those fifties into a hundred — a big hundred.”

Like his teammates, Tector is a huge fan of the first-class game but his chances have been restricted by a lack of fixtures to the point that this week will be the first time he has faced a red ball since Ireland’s victory over Zimbabwe in Bulawayo nine months ago.

That 63-run win was their third on the bounce, a remarkable achievement for a team that plays so irregularly, and has no domestic competition to develop players.

“The feeling you get after winning a Test match is different from any other format because as a team you've had to play well for a number of days and put in consistent performances in tough conditions.”

Conditions don’t come much tougher than Bangladesh where the heat and humidity is ferocious, and visiting teams can expect to face a quality pace attack these days, along with the traditional trial by spin.

“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. 

“It’s important — particularly as batters — to just assess conditions on the morning of the game, what the pitch looks like, and what it’s doing overhead. 

“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'm not too concerned with what they produce. I back us to perform and, hopefully, out-perform them on those pitches.”

Tector is a more than useful part-time off-spinner himself but doesn’t expect to get a chance with the ball.

“Spin is always a big factor here, but I don't see myself contributing much,” he said. 

“We've got three quality spinners in Humphreys, McBrine and Hoey — and all three of them provide something different, which is brilliant.

“No-one is under any illusion of how hard this series is going to be — if you look at it, any team that wins away in Bangladesh has played really, really well. 

“But there’s a lot of pride and motivation in our group. Coming off three Test wins in a row, we just need to keep putting down mmarkers to know that we’re competing and performing at the highest level of cricket.”