Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan said his side are aiming to deliver a stronger contest in the second Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet, acknowledging the challenge of spin while highlighting learnings from their maiden Test at the venue two years ago.

Ireland suffered an innings defeat in the series opener but showed a more positive approach with the bat late in the match. Malan believes the team’s adaptation will improve with more time in the longest format.

“It’s a nice opportunity for us to come back here,” Malan said on Monday. “We’ve got a fair understanding of the conditions. The more we play, the more people will work stuff out, and the quicker we’ll get better.”

Ireland’s batters employed a more attacking, sweep-based method in their second innings in the first Test, something Malan said was not a fixed plan but a matter of adapting to game scenarios.

“We’re trying to find that balance,” he said. “It’s really making sure we take the understanding of the situation of the game, summing up the conditions well, and then find that tempo we want to be consistent around in Test cricket.”

With conditions expected to heavily favour spin, Ireland are preparing to tweak their attack accordingly.

“History shows us that it spins here,” Malan said. “We’ll adapt from a playing-XI perspective and hopefully put a combination out there that competes for five days.”

Malan praised Andy McBrine’s gritty performance as a lower-order left-hander, saying the variation he brings remains crucial. “Mickey’s done a fantastic job for us batting at six and seven. He’s a vital part of our team in batting and spin bowling,” he added.