Tohid Hridoy set a new record for the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi player in the history of cricket with 242 runs not out in the second Test match against West Indies in Sylhet. The 25-year-old achieved this success in his third Test match, becoming the fourth Bangladeshi player to score a double century in a Test match.
Outstanding Performance by Hridoy
In this match, Hridoy hit 22 fours and 11 sixes, leading Bangladesh to a rare 23-run lead on the third day of the game. He single-handedly brought his team to a total of 386 runs, while it previously seemed that West Indies had control of the game. The previous record for Bangladesh in Test matches was held by Mushfiqur Rahim with 219 runs not out in 2018.
Phil Simmons, the head coach of Bangladesh, described this display as extraordinary, stating: "It was an incredible and unbelievable performance. He understood the game well and knew when to attract the last three players. He executed everything exceptionally."
Hridoy's Comeback in Tough Conditions
While Bangladesh was in a critical situation at 184 runs for 7 wickets, Hridoy led a remarkable comeback, surpassing West Indies' first innings total of 356 runs. Jomel Warrican, a West Indies bowler, also commented on Hridoy's performance, saying: "He played remarkably well and put Bangladesh in a good position. As a team, we were thinking about what kind of advantage we could have, but the way he played was special."
Following this brilliant performance, West Indies continued on the last day of the match with 7 runs not out. Brandon King was at 5 runs and Joshua da Silva at 2 runs. Warrican was the most successful bowler for the visitors with 4 wickets and 104 runs, while Jayden Seales took 2 wickets for 58 runs.
Bangladesh started the game with 88 runs and 3 wickets down, trailing by 268 runs. Hridoy was at 29 runs and Mushfiqur Rahim at 19 runs. The two players added 73 runs to the total until Warrican dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim for 34 runs with a deceptive delivery.
Litton Das also fell victim to Warrican, getting out for 8 runs. Bangladesh was at 138 runs for 5 wickets. Mehidy Hasan Miraz lost his wicket after scoring 16 runs due to a smart catch by Justin Graves. After that, Warrican dismissed Hasan Mahmud with just 1 run, and Bangladesh lost their seventh wicket while still trailing by 172 runs against West Indies.
Meanwhile, Hridoy continued to shine, scoring his first fifty off 109 balls and then his first century off 171 balls. Hridoy and Taijul Islam added 117 runs for the eighth wicket after lunch, bringing Bangladesh within 38 runs of West Indies' total.
