Hridoy backs counter-attack, learns from criticism

Despite establishing himself as an indispensable figure in Bangladesh’s white-ball setup, Towhid Hridoy had to wait for his opportunity in Test cricket.

He made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in Harare last June but managed only three and nine in his two innings. He was subsequently left out of the Test side for the Australia tour and the series against Afghanistan.

An injury to Mushfiqur Rahim opened the door for him in the Mirpur Test against West Indies, but he scored 42 and a duck. With just 54 runs from his first four Test innings, Hridoy came under criticism.

The 25-year-old has now answered his critics in style in the Sylhet Test, producing an unbeaten 242 to script history and set several records.

Speaking at the press conference after the fourth day's play, Hridoy reflected on the criticism, his batting philosophy, and his record-breaking innings.

The right-hander believes a player should not be judged on the basis of one or two innings.

“You cannot expect to perform consistently all the time. It is perfectly normal to have a bad day or two. It happens to every team in the world. It is not right to judge someone based on one or two performances. Of course, you can criticise us when we make mistakes, but not after just one or two innings. If the same mistakes keep happening repeatedly, then criticism is justified,” he said.

However, Hridoy also believes that criticism can be a valuable learning opportunity.

“In your profession, or in any profession, you will face criticism. When we do well, you say positive things. When we perform poorly, you criticise us. That is normal. But there is a lot to learn from criticism if we reflect on it in the right way,” he added.

Hridoy, who has made his mark in ODIs and T20Is with his attacking approach, believes in taking the fight to the opposition in Test cricket as well. He feels counter-attacking can sometimes be the best way to escape pressure.

“Sometimes, it is difficult to get out of a situation without counter-attacking. Before a team starts dominating us, we should try to counter-attack in some way. However, I try to play according to what the situation demands,” he said.

Hridoy has now surpassed Mushfiqur Rahim's 219 to become the holder of Bangladesh's highest individual score in Test cricket. But he insists that breaking records was never on his mind during the innings. His focus was simply on fighting for the team.

“It was written in my destiny. I was not thinking about whom I was surpassing or what record I might break. I just tried to fight as much as possible to put the team in a good position. I was set, it was my day and the ball was coming nicely onto the bat. I tried to contribute as much as I could for the team,” he said.