They say, “It just takes one innings to change it all.”
Towhid Hridoy is the latest example of that. During Bangladesh’s practice session on Monday evening at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai, Hridoy appeared in a light mood, but not with the bat.
Two days before the Super Four clash against India, his confidence seemed high, reflected in his body language. During the nets, he was hitting the ball with authority, especially through extra cover, sweeper cover, and wide-ish long-off. In fact, he was dominating all bowlers and side-arm throwers on the off-side.
His first three outings in this edition of the Asia Cup hadn’t gone in his favor. He scored 35* against Hong Kong, 8 against Sri Lanka, and 26 against Afghanistan. But his best was yet to come. In the Super Four match against Sri Lanka, chasing 169, Hridoy scored 58 off 37 balls, helping Bangladesh secure a thrilling 4-wicket win with just one ball to spare.
That innings brought back the best version of Hridoy. To refine his game, the coaching panel worked closely with him. At the ICC Academy Ground, three nets were set up under lights, side by side.
On the center net, Hridoy batted alone for at least 10 overs in the typical Dubai heat, facing most deliveries from the side-arm thrower, with balls pitched around good-length areas. On the two side nets, batters like Saif Hassan, Litton Das, Tanzid Tamim, and Parvez Hossain Emon were practicing in pairs. But the center net was dedicated entirely to Hridoy. Under the supervision of senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin, he focused on sharpening his off-side skills.
During the session, Hridoy lofted a back-of-length delivery from Taskin Ahmed towards extra cover, catching everyone’s attention. Many net bowlers and staff members were chatting nearby, and his shot prompted loud shouts of “watch it!” from almost everyone around the nets.
Coach Salahuddin and side-arm thrower Nasir continuously pitched balls on good or short lengths. Using his back foot and high-speed downswing, Hridoy struck almost every ball towards the off-side region with a high backlift.
When a ball was pitched outside off stump on a fuller length, Hridoy played a square or late cut. Balls from a good length prompted powerful inside-out shots, and he also executed some aggressive slashes toward wide-ish long-off. Most importantly, he played several lofted shots using his feet to extra cover.
Even journalists around the ground had to stay alert due to the aerial balls coming from Hridoy and his teammates.
Traditionally, as a wristy batter, Hridoy has been leg-side dominant. Off a full-length ball on the fourth-stump line, he tends to shuffle across and, with a high backlift and powerful downswing, often clears the leg-side boundary, especially in square-leg or deep-midwicket regions.
But in the last match against Sri Lanka, it was a different story. Out of his 58 runs from 37 balls, 27 came from the off-side, including two boundaries. That innings not only boosted his confidence but also showed that he is no longer purely a leg-side dominant batter; he can score freely on the off-side as well.
Earlier in the tournament, Hridoy admitted that his “honeymoon period” was over after the match against Hong Kong, responding to a reporter’s question. From that low point to regaining his confidence, he has made significant progress in just a few days. With off-side shots now firmly in his arsenal, Hridoy looks ready to make an impact against India and Pakistan on September 24th and 25th.
