Hridoy makes the most of his chance with 'unbelievable' Test double
Hridoy was included after Mominul Haque's injury failed to make him available for the second Test
West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican admitted that Towhid Hridoy's remarkable unbeaten 242 took them by surprise, calling the innings ‘special’.
Bangladesh were in deep trouble at one point, before Hridoy came up with a rescue act to help the host earn a slim first-innings lead. His unbeaten 242 off 359 balls is the highest score by a Bangladesh player in Test cricket.
Hridoy, playing only his third Test, became the fourth Bangladesh batter to reach a Test double century, joining Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. His 242 eclipsed Mushfiqur's previous national record of 219.
Hridoy, who resumed the day on 29 runs, hit 22 fours and 11 sixes, the most sixes by a Bangladeshi in a Test innings, surpassing Tamim Iqbal's record of seven.
Bangladesh lost three wickets in quick succession, but Hridoy resurrected their innings in the company of Taijul Islam and Taskin Ahmed.
He shared a century stand for the eighth wicket with Taijul Islam before Taskin Ahmed helped him add further runs.
“We were in the ascendancy and things were going our way, but Hridoy batted well. The way he batted was special. We have to give him credit,” said Warrican.
“We were thinking about what lead we could have got or how big the lead could have been. But the way he batted was special,” the left-arm spinner said.
“I just think he batted extremely well. He played a beautiful innings and put Bangladesh in a good position,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons insisted that he is happy to see Hridoy capitalising on his opportunity. He was included after Mominul Haque's concussion failed to make him available for the second Test
“I think it's what we asked for from players to take the opportunity and to make sure that when they get the opportunity they make use of it. And when you are out there in the middle, you are in charge and you do what is necessary for the team. And today he (Hridoy) just took charge at that point and did everything that we asked of him.
“That was an outstanding innings. It's an unbelievable innings in the end even when they were out on the boundary, he was still able to find boundaries and hit sixes. Even when he started getting tired coming closer to the double hundred. But it was just an outstanding effort from him in all aspects,” he said.
“Understanding the game, knowing which shots to play, when to give the last three batsmen the strike, everything he did exceptionally in this innings,” he said adding that he was impressed with the way he handled the situation on his own.
"I don't give batsmen messages on how maybe they should bat with their talents, because when they cross the rope they are in charge and that's what we are trying to get in their head.
“When you are batting there I can't send messages on how to bat as I am in the dressing room. So everything that he (Hridoy) did is from his mind and the two of them out there with him and Mushfiq then him and Taijul and so on,” he said.
“Hridoy has been batting well all through. Yes he played a couple of rash shots in Dhaka but that was his second Test match? So we can't hold that against him. I think that he is quickly maturing and we saw that today,” he concluded.
