Hridoy shines in drawn Test as Mushfiq joins 7,000-run club

Chasing 369 runs with 78 overs available, Bangladesh faced a daunting task on the final day of the Sylhet Test. Scoring at 4.73 runs per over in the fourth innings was always going to be difficult, particularly as Bangladesh had never chased down more than 215 in a Test. Survival, rather than victory, was therefore the priority for the hosts during the final five hours.  Towhid Hridoy and Mushfiqur Rahim made that task considerably easier, stitching together a match-saving 131-run partnership for the third wicket to pull Bangladesh out of trouble. The fading light eventually came to their rescue as the match was called off at 3:43pm with Bangladesh at 184/4 in their second innings and 19 overs still remaining. The two captains, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Roston Chase, agreed to a draw at 4pm.

Although the Sylhet Test ended in a stalemate, West Indies clinched the two-match series 1-0. It was the first drawn Test on Bangladesh soil since May 2022.

Hridoy was undoubtedly Bangladesh's brightest performer throughout the Sylhet Test. His unbeaten 242 in the first innings was the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi batter in Test cricket. He also finished the match with 324 runs across both innings, the highest aggregate by a Bangladesh batter in a single Test.

The previous record belonged to Mominul Haque, who scored 176 and an unbeaten 105 against Sri Lanka in 2018 for a match aggregate of 281.

After his record-breaking double century, Hridoy threatened to make another hundred in the second innings. However, he was bowled by Jomel Warrican while attempting a sweep, falling for 82 off 140 balls, which included eight fours. The dismissal also brought Warrican his 100th Test wicket in his 27th appearance.

Mushfiq's partnership with Hridoy proved to be the foundation of Bangladesh's fightback. The veteran batter reached another historic milestone when he nudged Warrican towards mid-on for a single, becoming the first Bangladeshi to score 7,000 runs in Test cricket.

He narrowly missed out on a half-century in his landmark innings, falling for 49 after being undone by an extra bounce from Shamar Joseph and playing the ball onto his stumps. Mushfiq also completed 10,000 runs in first-class cricket during the innings.

West Indies had accelerated their scoring on the final morning before declaring at 398/6, setting Bangladesh a target of 369. Kavem Hodge, who scored 142, was dismissed by Nayeem Hasan, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz accounted for Justin Greaves.

Bangladesh, however, suffered an early setback in their chase. Tanzid Hasan Tamim fell for 21 to Warrican before Shanto departed for 14. The hosts were in trouble until Hridoy and Mushfiq joined forces to produce their crucial 131-run stand.

Despite losing the series, Bangladesh had several positives to take from the Sylhet Test. Hasan Mahmud claimed six wickets in the first innings, registering his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket and setting a record for the most five-wicket hauls by a Bangladesh fast bowler. With five five-wicket hauls in five different countries, he also joined Australia's Nathan Lyon in an exclusive statistical company.

Hridoy's record-breaking double century, his record match aggregate and Mushfiq's historic 7,000-run milestone will remain the standout achievements of the drawn Sylhet Test. However, across the series, Bangladesh's biggest headache was West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who finished with 16 wickets from the two Tests.