Taijul leads Bangladesh’s charge to complete series sweep against Ireland
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Bangladesh are four wickets away from a series sweep over Ireland on the fourth day of the Dhaka Test, with Taijul Islam dominating the attack and surpassing Shakib Al Hasan as the nation’s highest Test wicket-taker.
Ireland were 176 for 6 while chasing 509 at stumps at the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Taijul took his 247th wicket to lead Bangladesh's Test bowling charts when he trapped Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie lbw for 13 as the first wicket of the chase in the sixth over.
Paul Stirling, the other opener, also fell to Taijul, caught at short leg where Mahmudul Hasan Joy took a simple catch.
Hasan Murad trapped Cade Carmichael for 19 in the 20th over, and Ireland were 77 for 3 just before tea.
Harry Tector struck three fours off Taijul after the break and brought up his fifty off 78 balls, but he handed a catch to Mushfiqur Rahim, who ran in from the deep.
Three overs later, Khaled Mahmud had Lorcan Tucker, who was unbeaten on 75 in the first innings, edging one behind for 7, and Ireland were in trouble at 127 for 5.
Bangladesh then went on to drop Stephen Doheny three times, leaving the small crowd in Mirpur frustrated. Taijul finally removed him for 15 with an arm ball.
Earlier, Mominul Haque's dismissal on 87 led to Bangladesh's declaration shortly after the lunch break on 297 for 4. Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 53, having already struck a century in the first innings.
Mominul struck 10 fours in his 118-ball knock, as he continued to look for a century since Kanpur last year. The openers Shadman Islam and Mahmudul also struck fifties, as they added 119 runs, and Mahmudul had fallen on the third evening for 60.
Shadman's was the first wicket to fall on the fourth morning when he was trapped in front by Andy McBrine for 78, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who handed a catch to gully for Jordan Neill's first Test wicket.
Mushfiqur joined Mominul, and the duo put on a brisk century stand of 123 from 167 balls to power the lead past 500.