At 184 for seven, Bangladesh still needed 172 runs just to draw level with West Indies. Then Towhid Hridoy started sending the ball over the ropes. By the time he was done, he had hit 11 sixes, made an unbeaten 242 and given Bangladesh a 30-run first-innings lead in the second Test in Sylhet.

Hridoy had already reached his maiden Test century by lunch on Saturday. After the break, he went after the West Indies bowlers, hitting Roston Chase for three sixes across two overs. He added 117 with Taijul Islam and another 85 with Taskin Ahmed, taking Bangladesh to 386 despite injured opener Shadman Islam being unable to bat.

A single off Jomel Warrican took Hridoy to 200. A four off the same bowler later carried him past Mushfiqur Rahim’s unbeaten 219, the previous highest Test score by a Bangladesh batter. His 11 sixes left him one short of the world record for a Test innings.

Warrican finished with four for 104 after taking three wickets in the morning session. Amir Jangoo’s 133 had anchored the West Indies’ first-innings 356.

Brandon King and Joshua Da Silva saw out the final four overs to take West Indies to seven without loss at stumps. The Windies go into day four still 23 runs behind.

Bangladesh need a win in Sylhet to level the two-match series.

West Indies won the opener in Mirpur by eight wickets, with Warrican taking nine wickets across the match and King scoring an unbeaten 81 in the chase of 170.