PUBLISHED Nov 7, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Authored by Levi C. Webb
Towhid Hridoy’s unbeaten 242 gave Bangladesh a 30-run first-innings lead against West Indies after a dramatic recovery in the second Test at Sylhet.
Bangladesh faced a damaging deficit before Towhid Hridoy transformed the Sylhet Test, turning his maiden century into a record innings against West Indies on Saturday.
Towhid Hridoy scored an unbeaten 242, the highest individual Test score by a Bangladesh batter, to overturn West Indies’ advantage in Sylhet on November 7. Bangladesh finished their first innings at 386, taking a 30-run lead over the visitors’ 356 despite having opener Shadman Islam unavailable to bat because of an ankle injury. The Daily Star and Cricbuzz reported the record innings, which changed the immediate problem facing Bangladesh: instead of trying to survive a substantial deficit, their bowlers would begin the next innings with a narrow cushion.
The recovery was especially striking because West Indies had strengthened their position during the third morning. Bangladesh resumed at 88 for three and reached lunch at 205 for seven, with Hridoy unbeaten on 100. United News of Bangladesh reported that he had entered this match with only 54 runs from his first two Tests, having debuted against Zimbabwe in June. That limited record makes Saturday’s performance a major individual breakthrough, although one extraordinary innings cannot establish how consistently he will succeed against different attacks and conditions.
Support from the lower order made the turnaround possible. Cricbuzz reported that Taijul Islam contributed 22 in an eighth-wicket partnership of 117, occupying 56 deliveries while Hridoy drove the scoring. Taskin Ahmed then helped extend the innings before his dismissal ended Bangladesh’s reply with Shadman unable to bat. Hridoy reached 200 from 304 balls, according to UNB, having struck 19 fours and seven sixes at that point. The partnership balance mattered: survival at the other end gave an established batter opportunities to attack without exposing a new partner every few deliveries.
West Indies had themselves needed a substantial rescue to reach 356. The International Cricket Council’s November 5 report described how fever ruled out John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul before the match, forcing changes that included Kevin Wickham’s Test debut. Wickham made 61 and shared a fourth-wicket stand of 131 with Amir Jangoo after early wickets disrupted the innings. Jangoo eventually scored 133, while Justin Greaves contributed 51, AFP reported. That opening-day background remains relevant because it shows how much of the visitors’ competitive total depended on rebuilding rather than an uninterrupted batting advantage.
Bangladesh’s bowling recovery had come through Hasan Mahmud, whose six wickets for 90 restricted the tourists on Friday. AFP reported that the performance gave him a fifth Test five-wicket haul, a record for a Bangladesh fast bowler. Cricbuzz’s account explained the tactical choices behind the figures: Hasan described attacking fuller with a moving new ball, then adjusting his length and concentrating on economy as it aged. That tradeoff between pursuing wickets and containing runs matters in this match, where batters who survived the initial movement were able to construct substantial innings.
Hridoy’s response exposed the limits of West Indies’ earlier control, but a 30-run advantage left Bangladesh with considerable work remaining. Warrican’s breakthroughs had brought the visitors close to a commanding lead; the lower-order resistance then denied them that position. The supported conclusion is that Bangladesh recovered their competitiveness, rather than secured the result. Their next task was to turn the modest lead into pressure with the ball, while West Indies needed another batting reconstruction. Neither the record innings nor Hasan’s milestone settled what target Bangladesh might eventually have to chase.
This account covers the completion of Bangladesh’s first innings on November 7; the Test remained in progress, with its outcome unresolved.
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Reporting and writing by Levi C. Webb. AI tools were used selectively to assist with research and editorial support.
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Sources
- Hridoy's record 242* gives Bangladesh improbable lead — Cricbuzz
- Hridoy remains unbeaten on 242 as Tigers take the lead — The Daily Star
- Hridoy turns maiden Test century into double hundred in Sylhet — United News of Bangladesh
- Jangoo ton helps depleted West Indies hold fort in Sylhet — International Cricket Council
- Mahmud’s 6-90 restricts West Indies in second Bangladesh Test — Jamaica Observer / AFP
- Record-breaking Hasan Mahmud savours a special milestone — Cricbuzz