A day after smashing the highest individual Test score by a Bangladesh cricketer, Towhid Hridoy on Sunday said it was his dream to hit that historic and unbeaten 242 against the West Indies in the second Test at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium here.
Hridoy, playing in only his third Test match, broke the previous highest score by a Bangladesh cricketer as he surpassed veteran wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim’s unbeaten 219 that he had hit against Zimbabwe in 2018 during the Mirpur Test.
The Bangladesh batter spoke on shattering the historic milestone ahead of the fourth day of the Test. “Definitely, it was a dream of mine, to be very honest. I’m delighted that it has come true, and perhaps a little earlier than I expected. I’m grateful for everything,” Hridoy told broadcasters.
“When you play Test cricket professionally, you have to do your best for the team. There are so many records in Test cricket, so whenever you get an opportunity, you have to make the most of it,” he added.
The 25-year-old bailed his team out of trouble when they were 51/3 in reply to West Indies’ 356 in the first innings. Hridoy had a mini-stand of 73 runs for the fourth wicket with Mushfiqur before another strong 117-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Taijul Islam, who made 22.
Taskin Ahmed also hung around for an 85-run stand for the ninth wicket, which saw Hridoy break Mushfiqur’s record and also took the team to a 30-run lead, as Taskin also made 12. Hridoy also credited the two tailenders.
“Taijul and Taskin played really well. The way they supported me gave me a lot of confidence. I have no target for now, just want to do what the team needs.
“As I mentioned earlier, whenever I get an opportunity, I always look to contribute to my team. Whatever the situation demands in a match, whatever the team needs, I will try to do accordingly,” he added.
