GALLE
\nIreland are smarting after the Bangladesh Test slipped through their fingers but skipper Andrew Balbirnie said Saturday his team can go the distance in their maiden five-day series in Sri Lanka.
\nThe visitors are yet to win in the format since being granted Test status in 2017 but rallied last week to give their hosts a fright in the second innings.
\nIreland are now none from four after their six-wicket loss in Dhaka and Balbirnie is confident his men can make their mark in the two-match series starting Sunday in Galle.
\n\u201cIn Dhaka, we showed we\u2019ve a number of players who can step up to the mark,\u201d Balbirnie told reporters. \u201cPotential is there. We\u2019re trying to get more exposure and more games to them,\u201d he added. \u201cHopefully, what we learnt from the last week, we\u2019ll bring to this series.\u201d
\nBangladesh showed signs of promise for the Irish side in their impressive third-day fightback, with Lorcan Tucker becoming only the team\u2019s second Test centurion on his debut.
\nHarry Tector managed two fifties while off-spinner Andy McBrine made 72 runs in addition to his six wickets.
\nSix of Ireland\u2019s number made their Test debut in Bangladesh and the neophyte visitors can expect a hard slog against a veteran seventh-ranked Sri Lanka team.
\nBut Balbirnie said his side were excited to show their mettle.
\n\u201cWe haven\u2019t had a lot of Test cricket but now we have two against a very strong team,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to put the whites on again and we love this experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018NOTHING NEW FOR ME\u2019
\nSri Lanka have made several changes including potential wicketkeeper duties for Sadeera Samarawickrama, 27, who makes his international Test comeback after an absence of more than five years.
\n\u201cSadeera has done pretty well in domestic cricket and deserves the break. He\u2019s really hungry as well and we hope he\u2019ll cement his place in the side,\u201d Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne told reporters.
\nKarunaratne will have a new opening partner in Nishan Madushka, with Oshada Fernando axed following last month\u2019s 2-0 series loss in New Zealand.
\n\u201cI have opened batting with about 10 guys now in Test match cricket so it\u2019s nothing new for me,\u201d Karunaratne said of the switch. \u201cHe\u2019s been scoring heavily this year and this is a huge break for him.\u201d
\nSunday marks Sri Lanka\u2019s first game at home across formats this year. Both Tests will be played at Galle, with the second match scheduled for April 24-28.
\nSRI LANKA: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Nishan Madushka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Dushan Hemantha, Lasith Embuldeniya, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Milan Rathnayake
\nIRELAND: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Murray Commins, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Tom Mayes, Andrew McBrine, James McCollum, Paul Stirling, PJ Moor, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GALLE Ireland are smarting after the Bangladesh Test slipped through their fingers but skipper Andrew Balbirnie said Saturday his team can go the distance in their maiden five-day series in Sri Lanka. The visitors are yet to win in the format since being granted Test status in 2017 but rallied last week to give their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":326359,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-326347","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n