A 5.5 magnitude earthquake briefly stopped play on the third morning of the Dhaka Test, sending players, officials, and spectators into panic as strong tremors hit parts of Bangladesh and India.
Play was halted for three minutes when the quake struck around 10.38am local time, with the stands emptying rapidly and both teams rushing out of their dressing rooms. The small crowd inside the stadium scrambled towards open areas, while the media centre was evacuated as journalists sought safety.
Local reports confirmed the quake’s epicentre was in Madhabdi, roughly 40km east of Dhaka, with at least two buildings damaged but no confirmed casualties. Tremors were also felt across the border in Kolkata, as well as in Guwahati, which hosts the India–South Africa Test from Saturday.
Ireland coach Heinrich Malan described the moment as unsettling, recalling previous experiences with earthquakes during his time in New Zealand. “Everything stood still for a couple of minutes… hopefully there wasn’t too much damage,” he said.
Play eventually resumed, and Ireland moved to 211 for 7 at lunch in response to Bangladesh’s first-innings 476, but the morning belonged to the unexpected shock that momentarily stopped the Test in its tracks.
