A week ago, Towhid Hridoy was being questioned over his place in the Bangladesh side after throwing away his wicket with a reckless shot in the Mirpur Test. Seven days later, he had the West Indies attack searching for answers in Sylhet, completing a historic double century to become the first Bangladeshi batter to convert his maiden Test hundred into a double.
However, Hridoy is the fourth Bangladesh batter to score a double century in Tests, after Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan.
With Bangladesh effectively down to 10 batters and seven wickets gone for 184, Hridoy had every reason to shut shop. Instead, he took the fight to West Indies, combining stubborn defence with fearless strokeplay to drag his team back from the brink of collapse and cut the visitors’ first-innings lead to just 38 runs.
The significance of his knock went beyond the numbers. Bangladesh were effectively playing with 10 batters after Shadman Islam injured his ankle while fielding and was unable to bat. The top order had again failed, with Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das all falling cheaply.
Resuming at 88/3, Bangladesh lost Mushfiqur and Litton in the morning before Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud also departed. With the hosts reduced to 184/7, Hridoy had to shoulder the responsibility alongside the lower order.
He began the day on 29 and reached his fifty off 109 balls, but accelerated sharply thereafter, scoring his next fifty in just 62 deliveries. He brought up his maiden Test hundred in the final over before lunch, with 11 fours and a six.
Hridoy’s control and shot selection stood out. He maintained an 89 per cent control rate on his way to the hundred, with the cut among his most productive strokes. After lunch, he added three more sixes in his next 49 balls to put the West Indies attack under pressure.
His innings also carried a psychological edge. West Indies pacer Jayden Seales had tried to provoke him with repeated sledging and short-pitched deliveries on Friday, tempting him into playing the hook and pull. Hridoy refused to take the bait and carried that composure into the third day.
When Bangladesh were in deep trouble, Taijul Islam provided valuable support, sharing a 117-run eighth-wicket stand with Hridoy over 138 minutes. Taijul made 22 off 56 balls before falling to Jomel Warrican.
