Towhid Hridoy’s Unbeaten 242 Sets Bangladesh Test Record Against West Indies

Key points

1. Towhid Hridoy scored an unbeaten 242 off 359 balls in Bangladesh’s first innings of the second Test against West Indies in Sylhet.
2. His innings included 22 fours and 11 sixes.
3. Bangladesh reached 386, taking a 30-run first-innings lead after West Indies had been dismissed for 356.
4. Hridoy surpassed Mushfiqur Rahim’s previous Bangladesh Test record of 219.
5. He became the fourth Bangladesh batter to score a Test double-century, after Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal.
6. Hridoy added 117 runs with Taijul Islam for the eighth wicket and shared an 85-run stand with Taskin Ahmed for the ninth wicket.
7. West Indies were 7 without loss in their second innings when bad light ended the third day early.

Towhid Hridoy produced a landmark innings for Bangladesh, scoring an unbeaten 242 to turn the second Test against West Indies in Sylhet on its head. The right-hander carried the hosts to 386 in their first innings, giving Bangladesh a 30-run lead after the visitors had been dismissed for 356. His 359-ball effort, which contained 22 fours and 11 sixes, is now the highest individual score by a Bangladesh batter in Test cricket.

Hridoy’s innings rescued Bangladesh from 184 for seven and eclipsed Mushfiqur Rahim’s previous national record of 219. He became only the fourth Bangladesh player to score a Test double-century, joining Mushfiqur, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. The achievement was especially striking because it came in his third Test appearance and marked his first century in the format.

Hridoy takes Bangladesh past Mushfiqur’s record

Hridoy arrived at the crease with Bangladesh in trouble at 22 for two. He built his innings patiently and helped steady the side, including a 73-run partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim, who made 34. After Mushfiqur’s dismissal, Bangladesh lost further wickets in a cluster and slipped to 184 for seven, leaving the hosts at risk of conceding a substantial first-innings deficit.

Hridoy continued to bat with control as the lower order joined him. He first passed Mominul Haque’s 181 to become the highest-scoring Bangladesh batter in a maiden Test century. He then moved beyond Mushfiqur’s 219 to establish a new national record. His unbeaten 242 put him ahead of every Bangladesh batter in the country’s Test history.

The innings also placed Hridoy in an exclusive group. Mushfiqur, Shakib and Tamim were the only Bangladesh players to have previously scored Test double-centuries. Hridoy became the fourth, and the first Bangladesh batter to convert his maiden Test hundred into a double-century.

Lower-order partnerships change the match

The most important phase of the recovery came after Bangladesh had lost seven wickets. Hridoy shared a 117-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Taijul Islam, who contributed 22 from 56 balls. The stand carried Bangladesh past 300 and prevented West Indies from taking control of the match after the middle-order collapse.

After Taijul was dismissed by Jomel Warrican, Hridoy kept the innings moving with Taskin Ahmed. Their 85-run ninth-wicket partnership pushed Bangladesh beyond the visitors’ total and into a first-innings lead. Taskin provided valuable support before Jayden Seales ended the innings by dismissing him. Hridoy remained unbeaten on 242 when Bangladesh were bowled out for 386.

Warrican was the most successful West Indies bowler, finishing with four wickets for 104 runs. His spell had helped trigger the collapse that left Bangladesh at 184 for seven, but the visitors could not prevent Hridoy from building the decisive lower-order partnerships.

A record-breaking attack after reaching three figures

Hridoy’s innings combined patience with an increasingly aggressive approach. He reached his maiden Test hundred from 171 balls, then accelerated to the double-century mark from 304 deliveries. His final score of 242 came from 359 balls, with 11 sixes and 22 fours.

Ten of his 11 sixes came after he had reached his century, as he attacked the West Indies bowling and changed the momentum of the innings. The 11 maximums were the most by a Bangladesh batter in a Test innings and were reported as the second-highest tally in Test history. The innings also surpassed the previous highest individual score at the Sylhet venue.

Bangladesh move ahead in the second Test

West Indies had made 356 in their first innings, with Bangladesh’s bowlers having to work hard to dismiss the visitors. Hridoy’s response gave the hosts a 30-run advantage, a significant reversal after they had been seven wickets down and still behind the opposition total.

West Indies began their second innings and reached seven without loss before bad light forced an early end to the third day. The visitors therefore trailed Bangladesh by 23 runs at stumps, with the match still finely poised despite Hridoy’s extraordinary contribution.

Bangladesh will look to use the first-innings lead to press for a result in the second and final Test. For Hridoy, the 242 not out is already a defining performance: it has rewritten the national record books and given his side a strong platform in a match that had threatened to move away from them.