Walking in at 22 for three, Towhid Hridoy became only the second Bangladeshi to score a Test century against South Africa, reaching the landmark on Day 1 of the first Test at the Wanderers on Sunday. Mahmudul Hasan Joy hit the only other, in Durban in 2022.

Hridoy reached three figures off 194 balls, steering a cut off Dane Paterson through deep backward point for four. He then marked it in his familiar way, resting his helmet on the end of his bat and raising both arms to the dressing room.

It is his second hundred in successive Tests, coming straight after the unbeaten 242 against West Indies in Sylhet. He has now made two centuries in seven innings, and this one arrived in his first Test on South African soil.

The 25-year-old also made 82 in the second innings at Sylhet, so he has now passed fifty in three consecutive innings. He has reached the milestones in only his fourth Test, a run that has quickly changed how his career is viewed.

Bangladesh needed that response. Three wickets had fallen for 22 runs, and Hridoy steadied the innings first with Tanzid Hasan, then with Litton Das, building his hundred on the back of a long, patient recovery.

The Hridoy and Tanzid stand of 99 broke a 22-year-old Bangladesh record in South Africa, the 84 by Hannan Sarkar and Habibul Bashar at Potchefstroom in 2002. It lasted barely two hours before Hridoy and Litton went past it.

The Hridoy and Litton partnership became Bangladesh’s highest against South Africa, home or away, passing the 138 by Jaker Ali and Mehidy Hasan Miraz in Mirpur in 2024. It was also the first stand of 100 or more by Bangladesh in South Africa.

Their stand later passed 150, another first for Bangladesh on South African soil. Litton brought up his 22nd Test fifty off 71 balls on the way, and both batters stayed fluent while the innings moved past 200.

Hridoy has form in South Africa. Last August he made an unbeaten 350 for Bangladesh A there, the highest first-class score by a visiting batter in the country and the highest by any Bangladeshi in first-class cricket.

The partnership then turned aggressive late in the day. Hridoy hit Simon Harmer for a six and two fours in one over, and Litton added a fine paddle for four, moving Bangladesh to 319 for five in 79 overs.

At the time of writing, Bangladesh were 319 for five after 79 overs on the first day of the Johannesburg Test. Hridoy was unbeaten on 132 off 211 balls and Litton on 89 off 124, their sixth-wicket stand worth more than 190.