Bangladesh Crushes Ireland by Innings and 47 Runs in Historic First Test in Sylhet

When Bangladesh wrapped up victory by an innings and 47 runs on November 15, 2025, at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, it wasn’t just another win—it was history. This was the first-ever Test match between Bangladesh and Ireland, and the hosts didn’t just win; they dominated. Ireland, who won the toss and elected to bat, posted a massive 587 for 8 declared, yet it wasn’t enough. Bangladesh’s first-innings 286 and second-innings 254, combined with ruthless bowling, left Ireland staring down a deficit they couldn’t claw back. The match ended with Ireland at 41 for 0 in their second innings, the tourists simply running out of time. Test cricket had arrived in Sylhet with a roar.

A Match That Broke New Ground

Before this series, no one had ever seen Bangladesh and Ireland face off in Test cricket. The two teams had met 24 times across ODIs and T20Is—Bangladesh winning 16 of them—but the longer format remained uncharted territory. That changed on November 11, 2025, when the first ball was bowled under the humid Sylhet sky. Ireland’s decision to bat first looked bold, even aggressive. But what followed was a lesson in resilience and raw batting power. Mahmudul Hasan Joy, the 24-year-old middle-order batter, turned the match on its head with a career-best 171 off 286 balls—the first Test century of his career and the longest innings of the match. He didn’t just score runs; he absorbed pressure, batting for over six hours. His knock gave Bangladesh’s bowlers a target to chase, and more importantly, it gave the home crowd something to believe in.

On the other side, Ireland’s Matthew Humphreys, a 21-year-old left-arm spinner, delivered a heroic 5 for 170 in 43 overs—the best figures by an Irish bowler on foreign soil since 2018. But even his grit couldn’t offset the structural imbalance. Bangladesh’s spinners, led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz (3 for 50), and the emerging Hasan Murad (4 for 60), turned the pitch into a minefield after lunch on day four. The wicket, slow and low, favored patience. And Bangladesh had more of it.

Debutants and Turning Points

This match became a launching pad for three young players. Hasan Murad, a 20-year-old off-spinner from Khulna, took his first Test wicket on the third day and finished with four in the match. Cade Carmichael, Ireland’s 19-year-old all-rounder, made his debut as a batter and bowled 18 overs without a wicket—but showed composure under fire. And then there was Jordan Neill, who replaced Ross Adair in the squad after Adair’s knee injury on November 10. Neill, a 22-year-old pacer from Belfast, bowled 23 overs in the match, including the final over before the close. He didn’t take a wicket, but his presence signaled Ireland’s shift toward youth.

What made this match extraordinary wasn’t just the result—it was the context. Bangladesh had lost their last two home Tests in 2024. Their batting had looked brittle. Their spinners, once feared, had been tamed by touring sides. But here, in Sylhet, they looked like a team reborn. The crowd—nearly 28,000 over five days—roared with every dot ball. The players celebrated like they’d won a World Cup.

The Bigger Picture: Bangladesh’s Home Dominance

This win extends Bangladesh’s dominance over Ireland across formats. In ODIs, they’ve won 11 of 16 meetings. In T20Is, it’s 5-2. And now, in Tests, it’s 1-0. The 2023 Test in Dhaka—where Ireland’s wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker scored a debut century—felt like a turning point then. Now, it feels like a footnote. This time, Ireland had no Tucker heroics. No last-wicket stand. No miracle. Just a team outclassed in technique, temperament, and tactical execution.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had planned this tour carefully. The two-Test, three-T20I schedule was announced in September 2025 as part of their 2025-26 home season. Sylhet, a city that rarely hosts Tests, was chosen to expand cricket’s reach beyond Dhaka and Chittagong. And it worked. Ticket sales exceeded projections by 37%. Local businesses reported a 52% spike in revenue during the match week.

What Comes Next: Dhaka and the T20I Series

The second Test began on November 19, 2025, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. Bangladesh, buoyed by their Sylhet win, posted 476 in their first innings, thanks to Litton Das’s 128 and a gritty 93 from Najmul Hossain Shanto. Ireland, again, struggled—falling to 265, with Andy McBrine taking 6 for 109, his best Test figures. But this time, Bangladesh’s second innings was brief: they reached 41 for 0 in 7 overs, with Mahmudul Hasan Joy unbeaten on 23. The match was effectively over before tea on day four.

The three-match T20I series followed, with the final game scheduled for November 25, 2025, at 2:00 PM BST in Dhaka. Ireland’s squad, now depleted by injuries and fatigue, faces a tough challenge. Their T20I record against Bangladesh? 2 wins in 8 matches. The odds are long. But as the Sylhet match proved, cricket doesn’t always follow logic.

Why This Matters

For Bangladesh, this series wasn’t just about beating Ireland. It was about proving they can dominate even when the opposition bats long. It was about developing young talent like Hasan Murad and showing the ICC that their home conditions remain formidable. For Ireland, it was a harsh reality check: Test cricket at this level demands more than grit. It demands depth, discipline, and decades of experience they simply don’t yet have.

And for fans? It was a reminder that cricket’s magic still lives in places like Sylhet—where a quiet stadium, a slow pitch, and a determined team can write history.