Majestic Hridoy closer to 200 with last man Taskin as Bangladesh trail by 38

Towhid Hridoy marched to 190 not out, 10 short of a double century, as Bangladesh reached tea on 318 for eight after 96 overs in Sylhet on Saturday.

They trail West Indies by 38, with Taskin Ahmed the last man alongside him.

The last two overs before the break brought 15 runs. Hridoy cut Joshua Bishop behind point for four and took a single, then came down the track at Jomel Warrican, who shortened his length to 90.3kph. The six sailed straight, and a four followed off the final ball.

Hridoy now has 18 fours and seven sixes off 289 balls.

The single off the last ball of Bishop’s over had a twist. Hridoy turned it behind square leg and Warrican strolled after it, miming a kick towards the rope before thinking better of it.

Had he kicked it, Bangladesh would have earned five penalty runs.

Taijul Islam was stumped off Warrican for 22 on 301 for eight after 92 overs, in a call so close that replays showed his foot on the line. It ended a 117-run stand, Bangladesh’s second-highest for the eighth wicket in Tests, and gave Warrican his fourth wicket.

By then Hridoy’s 172 had become the highest individual score in a Test innings at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The stand with Taijul was Bangladesh’s third century partnership for the eighth wicket, behind the 144 by Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz against Zimbabwe in 2018.

Their hundred came up off 138 balls, leaving Bangladesh 67 behind. Hridoy had earlier passed 150 on 274 for seven after 84 overs, and at 154 he became the highest-scoring Bangladeshi against West Indies in Tests. Taijul was on 15 and the pair had added 90.

Hridoy took a painful blow in the 85th over, when he missed a pull at Jayden Seales and was struck flush on the ribs. He went down at once and was clearly in discomfort, but he stayed at the crease.

Bangladesh had gone to lunch on 205 for seven and crept to 218 for seven after five overs of the afternoon. At 240 for seven, Hridoy was on 135 and Taijul on one, the stand worth 56 off 77 balls.

Hridoy had reached his maiden Test hundred just before lunch, with Bangladesh 151 behind and Warrican having taken three wickets in the morning.