Ireland face an all but impossible task to make Bangladesh bat again in the first Test in Sylhet — never mind save the match — after a third day again dominated by the home side.

Left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys got the five-wicket haul his persistence and variations merited — a second for Ireland in successive Tests — and yet the first-innings deficit was still a massive 301 when Bangladesh declared on 587-8 shortly after tea.

The Boys in Green could probably afford to have lost one wicket, possibly two, in the 28 overs that remained but as the ball began to grip and spin they closed on 86-5 with only Andy McBrine and skipper Andy Balbirnie left of the recognised batters.

After five energy-sapping sessions in the field, Paul Stirling led the rearguard, taking a positive approach to hit seven boundaries before he was unluckily run out for 43.

It was an unusual dismissal as the opener charged left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, missed, the ball deflected from the keeper’s gloves to first slip where the quick-thinking Najmul Shanto flicked it back into the stumps.

To say that Stirling was short of his ground by less than an inch would not be an exaggeration.

Ireland had already lost Cade Carmichael, who opened in place of Balbirnie. The Test debutant only lasted eight balls, two of which he inside-edged: one to the fine leg for a boundary and the second into his bails.

Harry Tucker looked composed until he again planted his front foot too early and was lbw for the sixth time in eight innings while Curtis Campher fell to a diving catch at short extra cover.

With Balbirnie nursing a sore finger, that brought together McBrine and Lorcan Tucker, not only Ireland’s two leading run scorers in Tests but also the pair who added 111 to delay Bangladesh’s victory in the inaugural match between sides in 2023.

Tucker scored a century on that occasion in Dhaka but hopes of a repeat were dashed when he missed an arm ball and was adjudged lbw on review. 

The game then is up, and the run of three victories over, but if McBrine, Balbirnie and the tail can make inroads into the 215 still required to avoid an innings defeat it will at least boost morale ahead of next week’s second Test in Dhaka.