Tea Bangladesh 318 for 8 (Hridoy 190*, Taskin 0*, Warrican 4-85) trail West Indies 356 (Jangoo 133, Wickham 61, Greaves 51, Mahmud 6-90) by 38 runs
Bangladesh were staring down the barrel when Taijul walked into bat before the lunch break. By the time he left the crease, his side was just 55 short of West Indies’ 356. Hridoy, batting on exactly 100 at the lunch interval, launched into an amazing array of strokeplay, lacing the ball through point with several square-cuts, as well as five sixes from midwicket to extra cover.
He continued in the same vein with the strike-farming and search for boundaries. He started with a timely upper-cut off Shamar Joseph, before he swung Chase for a big six over square leg. Then he struck two straight sixes in Chase’s next over.
The new ball was always going to be crucial for West Indies, especially whenever they got a chance to have a go with it against Taijul. Surprisingly, Taijul handled it quite well, ticking two boundaries early against Jayden Seales and Joseph.
Hridoy then lashed Seales for a four through point, and then straight down the ground for a six, in the same over. His 150 came through another beautiful flick, off Joseph, before treating him for two more fours in his next over.
Taijul then got a four trying to fend himself against Seales, but then Hridoy launched Joshua Bishop for his sixth six of the innings. When he moved to 172, it was the highest Test score in Sylhet, beating Mahmudul Hasan Joy’s 171 against Ireland last year.
West Indies’ spinners got Bangladesh on the ropes in the day’s first session. Warrican had both Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das caught at cover in consecutive overs. Mushfiqur drove the ball on the up, while Litton tried to simply time it through the covers, the ball lobbing easily to Brandon King. Mushfiqur’s catch went to Chase who dived to his left to complete the catch.
Justin Greaves then took a smart catch running from slip towards the leg side, after Mehidy Hasan Miraz played an uppish lap sweep. Warrican then got Hasan Mahmud caught behind, as Bangladesh slipped into further danger. Hridoy, batting on 81, clattered Chase immediately for a six and a four, before finding two more boundaries to get him to 99. He reached his century in the last over before lunch.