Tector and Tucker fight back but Bangladesh retain control

Ireland reduced their deficit to 62 runs against Bangladesh, after an impressive first session on the third day of the Dhaka Test. The visitors were 93 for 5 at lunch, having survived 30 overs, losing just one wicket as opposed to the four they lost on the final session of day 2.

Harry Tector was at the forefront of his defensive game, remaining unbeaten on 43 off 132 balls. Lorcan Tucker was not out with him on 24, with the duo having added 42 runs for the unbroken sixth-wicket stand.

The day started with Litton Das dropping Tector off Taijul Islam in the second over. The batter was on nine when the wicketkeeper missed the chance. That opened up Tector who struck Taijul for a straight six in the next over, followed by Peter Moor and Tector hitting a boundary each shortly afterwards.

But Litton didn't make the same mistake around the hour mark when Moor edged Shoriful Islam after batting out 77 deliveries. But it didn't derail Ireland as Tector and Tucker were watchful, while also striking seven boundaries up to the lunch break. Towards the end of the session, Tucker hit an eye-catching pair of pulls off Ebadot to the deep-square-leg boundary.

Last evening, Moor and Tector had batted out a difficult 10.3 overs after Ireland collapsed to 13 for 4 in 6.3 overs.

Both Ireland openers got out to lbw decisions, first James McCollum and then Murray Commins. Shakib Al Hasan beat McCollum's defensive prod on the front foot in the first over, before Taijul trapped Commins who tried to work the ball off the backfoot. Captain Andy Balbirnie missed a Taijul delivery that spun away from him subtly, hitting the outside half of the off-stump.

Curtis Campher was fourth out, nicked off by Shakib. All except Litton appealed, and even Aleem Dar heard the noise. Campher went for the review, but the on-field decision was upheld.

Bangladesh dominated with the bat, scoring 369 runs at 4.58 runs per over. Mushfiqur Rahim struck his tenth century while batting coach Jamie Siddons rued that Shakib (87) and Litton (43) couldn't get big ones. Mehidy Hasan Miraz also got a fifty, while for Ireland, Andy McBrine became their first bowler to take a six-wicket haul.

Source: ESPNcricinfo