Hridoy's incredible batting puts Bangladesh in the lead

West Indies: 356 and 7/0. Bangladesh first innings: 386.

Even imagination has its limits! That must have been the feeling of every West Indies player at the end of the third day of the Sylhet Test.

Considering how Bangladesh began the day this morning and how the first session unfolded, even the Bangladesh team could hardly have dreamed of such an ending.

But Towhid Hridoy perhaps thought differently. Without the belief that something extraordinary was possible, he could never have scripted such a story. Riding on Hridoy's unbeaten 242, Bangladesh ended the day with a 23-run lead.

When Hridoy came out to bat alongside Mushfiqur Rahim this morning, he was on 29. Their 37-run partnership offered Bangladesh, who had resumed the day at 88 for 3, some hope. But it took less than half an hour for that hope to fade.

Mushfiqur was caught at short cover. A little over later, Litton Das suffered the same fate. Both batsmen gifting their wickets with catches off two seemingly harmless deliveries from Warrican was frustrating. The disappointment deepened when Mehidy Hasan Miraz was caught attempting a paddle sweep. Standing at the other end, Hridoy must have wondered what would happen next. He would find the answer himself over the next five and a half hours.

When Hasan Mahmud, batting at No. 7, was dismissed, Bangladesh still needed 172 runs to take the lead. Had anyone claimed at that point that Bangladesh would not only surpass that target but also secure a 30-run first-innings lead, most people would probably have thought them foolish.

But Hridoy made that seemingly impossible scenario a reality, with Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed for company. He defended with complete concentration and found the boundaries by making the most of his ability.

Spectators in Sylhet applauded, teammates stood up in the dressing room to salute him, and Ebadot Hossain even offered him a salute from the field.
And Hridoy? He simply kept doing his job, responding to the demands of the situation.

The numbers tell the story of how his innings evolved over time. It took him 109 balls and 178 minutes to reach his first 50. He needed another 62 balls and 80 minutes to reach his century, 64 balls and 67 minutes to get to 150, and 69 balls and 90 minutes to complete his double century.

It was not just his batting. The way he protected the last two batsmen, defended delivery after delivery to frustrate the opposition, and did not hesitate to hit boundaries when needed also spread confidence throughout the dressing room.

These small moments came together to create a story that will be talked about for a long time. Hridoy's 117-run partnership with Taijul and another 85-run stand with Taskin took Bangladesh into the lead. He eventually remained unbeaten on 242.

West Indies came out to bat in their second innings late in the final session and scored seven runs without losing a wicket in four overs. Unfortunately for Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed's very first over saw the team squander two reviews.

But it will not be the regret of losing those reviews that people remember about the day. It will be Hridoy's incredible resistance. His magnificent innings made the third day of the Test belong to Bangladesh. Yet, who could have imagined that at the start of the day?