Ireland spin bowling coach Chris Brown lavished praise on offspinner Andy McBrine for his tireless effort in keeping the visitors competitive on Day 1 of the second Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
McBrine bowled 26 overs and claimed all four Bangladesh wickets for 82 runs as the hosts finished the day on 292-4.
“Throughout the day McBrine was outstanding – four for 80-odd off the 28 or 29 overs he bowled. His control was excellent,” Brown said.
“He got into his work really well and thoroughly deserved the rewards he got today. I thought he was outstanding from start to finish.”
Brown, however, rued the missed opportunities in the field, particularly against Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim, saying Ireland could have taken the control had those chances been taken.
“Between lunch and tea, I think we bowled really well. There were a few chances, and if we had converted even two of them, the picture might have been slightly different,” he said.
“There were three chances – one fairly straightforward, the other two quite difficult. On another day, they go to hand. But overall, I was pleased with how the day went.”
Ireland appeared to slow down noticeably in the final 30 minutes, which Bangladesh players felt denied Mushfiqur Rahim a century in his 100th Test, as he remained stranded on 99 at stumps.
Brown dismissed suggestions of deliberate time-wasting, explaining that the team simply needed time to set fields properly for two well-set batters.
“We were just thinking about setting different fields. Look, the lads – Liton and Mushfiqur – played brilliantly, and Mushfiqur will have to wait until tomorrow,” Brown remarked.
“That partnership between him and Das was really good. We’ll come back in the morning and try to break our way through.”
Bangladesh had hoped for one more over to give Mushfiqur a chance to complete his milestone, but Brown clarified that the decision to call stumps rested solely with the match officials.
“At the end of the day, the two umpires out there are extremely experienced. They call time. When it’s time, that’s it – you come off.”
NSA
